Madly in Love
by The Ever-Dreaming Kitten
Summary: Ty Parsec has found a nice girl in his life, but to his dismay there is another guy trying to take her away from him. Love triangle. I own nothing.
1. Robotic Spy

**Hey, everybody. A happy Valentine's Day to you all! Here's a Valentine's present from me to you. I've re-written the story and shortened it. So there are eighteen chapters instead of 25. That means I've changed the ending of the story. So I hope you'll like this re-created story.**

 **I just felt like re-doing it because I thought I ought to make improvements with the grammar, spelling and other things. Most of the story is the same, but there are some changes in here which I hope you'll notice for those of you who have read the original story.**

 ** **Well, please enjoy.****

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Robotic Spy**

Prologue

Star Command had recruited a 20-year-old human red-haired woman whom Team Lightyear met on Capital Planet several months ago when they were fighting off against Zurg's henchman Warp Darkmatter who sneaked onto this world one night to do his boss's dirty work.

Rosela Pearl just so happened to be in that part of town when she saw Darkmatter trying to make a break for it with some item he stole to help Zurg lower Capital Planet's defenses. Rosela hid herself in the shadows until he had gotten close enough for her to trip him to the ground and make him drop the stolen item that Rosela quickly grabbed before hiding herself again when Team Lightyear arrived to apprehend Warp who escaped as always, but he left empty handed.

Rosela came out of hiding and offered the stolen item back to the four Rangers, Buzz Lightyear, Mira, Booster, and X.R, who were all very grateful for her assistance. They became friends with her and kept in touch with her which was what helped them discover she was on a budget and on the verge of being without a home...

Apparently she and her late mother were always hard up for money and when her mother passed away two years ago, Rosela had worked very hard, but paying to keep her house was getting harder every day.

Team Lightyear was very sad for their new friend, but then Mira had an idea that could solve Rosela's problems. The Tangian princess convinced Rosela to join Star Command where Rosela could live and train to be a Space Ranger.

At first Rosela was hesitant. She admired the work Space Rangers did to keep the galaxy safe, but she wasn't sure if she had what it took...but seeing she was going without a home, what did she have to lose? She decided to see what the life of a Space Ranger would lead her and hope for the best.

On her second day on Star Command, she was walking through the halls to stretch her legs when she met Ty Parsec whom she became acquainted with. Ty himself seemed fascinated with her every time he saw her. Not to mention the way she could hold her own in a fight when he saw her training with her fellow cadets.

After a long time of training, she graduated and became a rookie Ranger to the pride of Team Lightyear who congratulated her. Commander Nebula gave her a partner who turned out to be Ty Parsec to her pleasant surprise. It was Ty who had asked the Commander to be partnered up with her which the Commander agreed to when he also thought these two would be a good team.

Ty and Rosela were indeed doing very well together, and they got along very well...in more ways than one. However, little did Ty know, he was not the only one desiring Rosela...

* * *

One day, the Space Rangers were on a well-deserved vacation. Team Lightyear stayed on Capital Planet for some fun in the sun along with Ty and Rosela who happily accompanied them.

When night time arrived, Rosela was in her hotel room, standing on the balcony as she enjoyed the sight of the city lights, the wind blowing against her long red hair.

To her surprise, she heard the hotel phone ringing by her bed.

"I wonder who that could be?" she asked herself curiously before she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Rosela," said Ty from the other end of the phone.

"Oh, hi, Ty," Rosela greeted, smiling from hearing Ty's voice. "What's up?"

"Oh, I thought I'd call and ask if you'd like to have a stroll through the square with me. We could grab dinner, too."

"That sounds like fun. Why not?" Rosela accepted happily.

"Great. Meet me there at 7:30?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll see you then."

"It's a date," Ty sang before he ended the call, making Rosela's face red when he said that.

"I'm...sure he was just kidding when he said date," she said to herself. Truth was: she had liked Ty for a while, but she never told him her feelings nor did she know what Ty felt about her.

Rosela dressed up nice in a lavender flutter top shirt that only revealed her shoulders and a pair of white linen island pants. She brushed her long crimson hair before fluffing her hair with her fingers, feeling great and ready to go.

Rosela rode the elevator down in the lobby where she met Mira, Booster, and X.R.

"Whoa, hello!" X.R announced, liking the way Rosela looked.

"Down, boy," Rosela ordered with a grin.

This robot had a problem controlling himself around girls from what Rosela had learned.

"Well, where are you going all dressed up?" Mira queried.

"I'm meeting Ty at the square. We're gonna see the sights and have dinner."

"Ty invited you, but he didn't invite us, too?" X.R queried, sounding offended as he folded his arms, even though he was only joking. "Well, I never..."

"He's just kidding, Rosela," Mira assured with a grin.

"I know," Rosela smiled, then she headed for the door, waving her three friends good-bye. "We'll see you when we see you."

When Rosela had gone, Booster asked curiously, "Gee, you think it's a date?"

"She didn't say it was, Booster," Mira replied.

"But...maybe," X.R hinted, his hands together, raising his eyebrows, "they might finally make a heart-to-heart connection."

"Ooh!" Booster said excitedly, shaking his fists, a big smile on his face. "You think so?"

"Well, if we want to know, why don't we go see?" X.R suggested as he headed for the door, but Mira pulled him back.

"Ah, ah, ah, no," Mira denied, shaking her head. "Uh-uh, nothin' doin'. We're not spying on them."

"It isn't spying," X.R insisted. "We simply watch over them from a distance and quietly cheer for them. It's totally innocent."

"That's not what they'd think if they saw us," Mira said as she stood behind X.R and pushed him into the elevator with Booster following.

"Not if we keep to the shadows. It always works for Rosie," X.R claimed, using Rosela's nickname.

"Yes, but she uses her stealth skills for good purposes, not nosey purposes," Mira said firmly as they all stepped inside the elevator.

"Well, even if we can't watch them, I'm still gonna cheer for them," Booster said with a grin, giddily shaking his fists again.

When Mira pushed the button for the elevator to close, X.R leaned against the wall with his arms folded and a pout on his yellow face. He still wanted to see for himself if Ty and Rosela would confess...and he was going to find out no matter what.

* * *

Rosela walked through the town to head for the square to meet up with Ty... Thinking about him made her blush as she held her face.

There were a lot of things to like about him. He was nice, brave, and funny; a man whom people could count on. Honestly, she wanted to tell him how she felt, but she was painfully shy.

" _I've never fallen in love before... I just wish I knew if he wanted romance in his life or not. He's never talked about looking for a girlfriend._ "

She took a deep breath and decided to just enjoy her outing with Ty tonight.

As she kept heading to her destination, she didn't realize there was a robotic spy hiding on a roof watching her go...and it wasn't X.R...


	2. True Intentions

**Chapter 2: True Intentions**

Rosela had made it to the square where flashing, colorful lights were all over the streets, making the place dazzling to her delight.

She sat on a bench as she looked around for Ty. She was a little confused that he wasn't here yet since it was already 7:30. Was he running a little late? But wouldn't he have called to tell her that?

She was getting concerned as she digged in her left pocket to pull out her phone. She was about to dial Ty's number, but when she looked at the phone's black screen, she saw a shadow's reflection...which told her someone was on the building roof behind her.

She narrowed her eyes on the reflection to see whose silhouette it was... The shape did look familiar... In fact, it looked hauntingly familiar. The shadow was the shape of a villain she once met right after she had graduated from Ranger Academy.

She quickly stood on her feet and turned around to see if her suspicions were right, but when she looked at the roof, there was no one there at all... She put her right hand on her beating heart, asking herself if it was all just in her imagination.

" _I sure hope so. I never want to see him again._ "

That villain she had met was a robot villain who secretly kidnapped her from Star Command and kept her captive in his vessel for three days to make the Space Rangers believe he was going to use her for ransom.

At first Rosela didn't know who he was or what sort of villainy he did because no one on Star Command had ever told her about him, even though she did learn he was created by Evil Emperor Zurg which was all she could learn from him.

During her stay, she tried to help him see that a villain's life wasn't worthwhile and that he ought to make friends with people. She believed he was taking her words into consideration. To her surprise, he even spent a good time with her, like dancing.

On the final day in his vessel, he claimed that Rosela was right and that he would change the error of his ways and make peace with Star Command. Rosela was overjoyed and she promised she would convince her fellow Rangers he had changed...

To her heartbreak, he lied to her just to make her let her guard down so he could control her Ranger suit which meant he could control her movements like a puppet and force her to attack the Rangers who he knew wouldn't hurt her because he knew how much they liked her which was why he had chosen her to be his weapon and shield.

Thankfully, when Rosela was forced to attack, she managed to free herself from his control by damaging her suit to his disbelief. He escaped from Star Command, leaving the Rangers in complete dismay that he was alive.

Rosela asked her friends what they meant about him 'being alive', so Ty and Team Lightyear told her everything about him. Rosela was horrified to learn that he was an energy-craving monster that feasts on innocent robots and he even used Ty whom he turned into a wirewolf to do his evil bidding.

Ty mentioned that he destroyed that villain on Planet Z, and that was why the Rangers didn't understand how he could still be operational. Rosela had the idea that Zurg must've fixed him and erased all of his memories of Ty so he wouldn't use Ranger Parsec to betray the evil emperor again.

Buzz agreed with Rosela's theory because Zurg wouldn't let a potentially dangerous creation go to waste. The Rangers were of course deeply disturbed that he was back again and they knew he would cause trouble very soon.

What Rosela didn't know was that Ty wanted to protect her from him because Ranger Parsec believed he would want revenge on her for ruining his plans, so that was one of the main reasons he wanted to be partners with her.

Now Rosela had thought she had seen that villain's silhouette on the roof, but then she told herself that it was impossible. He couldn't have made it past Capital Planet's defenses.

" _But...didn't Warp Darkmatter manage to do that himself...? No... No, I'm just thinking things. He's not here. He's not here._ "

Rosela was about to call Ty, then she looked up to see Ty from a distance, his back to her so that meant he couldn't see her. She was relieved to see him as she put her phone away and walked up to him. As she did, he turned the corner to her confusion.

" _I don't understand. Why isn't he coming where he asked me to meet him?_ "

As Rosela kept going, there was someone hiding in an alley close to where she saw Ty disappear to. That unknown person was hanging himself upside-down from a building's ledge as he saw her coming.

"Yes, my dear," he whispered with relish, "come to me."

Rosela was about to run to find Ty when she heard a noise behind her. She looked over her right shoulder to see a certain robot who had accidentally knocked down a sealed trash can that he made stand up.

Rosela's eyes widened slightly when she recognized him. He noticed her, too, and he tried to hide himself behind the trash can, but it was too late. He was busted.

Rosela frowned when she marched up to the trash can that she carefully pushed out of the way with her left foot, her hands on her hips when she looked at the little robot who grinned nervously and waved at her.

"Rosie, hey, how are ya?"

The unknown person who was still hanging from his ledge was surprised and angered when he also saw the little robot.

"X.R, what are you doing here?" Rosela asked, sounding a bit irked.

The unknown person narrowed his red eyes angrily. "Yes, Little One, what _are_ you doing here?" he whispered through gritted teeth.

"I..." X.R started, playing with his purple fingers. "Uh... That is..."

"Were you gonna spy on Ty and me, weren't you?"

"Spy? Why does everybody think I'd spy? I was..." X.R stopped himself because he couldn't reveal he knew Ty and Rosela liked each other. "I just..."

Rosela wasn't going to listen to his excuses. "X.R, please go back to the hotel or go play somewhere else," she ordered firmly. "Because you are not following us. Am I clear, mister?"

X.R hung his head in shame, his hands behind him. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good," Rosela nodded before pointing her finger ahead of her. "Now please get goin'. And we will talk about this later."

The Ranger bot had started going the other way, then Rosela resumed her search for Ty. X.R couldn't help but glance at where was Rosela sprinting off to. Then X.R noticed a shadow moving on the rooftop on the next block...

X.R stopped moving when he started to think that that shadow looked sort of familiar... It moved fast and its shape and size rang a few bells... His yellow optics widened when he began to get a dreaful thought.

"No, no, no. It couldn't be. Even he can't make it to Capital Planet," he dismissed, folding his arms. "There's just no way... Then again, Warp's sneaked to Capital Planet more than once, so..."

X.R looked in the direction Rosela went as he started to get very worried. Should he go after Rosela and Ty?

"But what if I'm wrong? And even if I tell them what I thought I saw, they might think I'm making excuses..."

Still, X.R really wanted to make sure that that wasn't who he thought it was...

"Oh, please, let it not be who it is. _Please_ ," he begged as he headed in Rosela's direction.

* * *

Rosela had been running a little as she tried to find Ty whom she thought she had lost track of.

"Goodness, where is he?" she asked as she looked around. "And why wasn't he coming at the square?" She sighed as she reached for her phone. "That's it, I'm callin' him right now. 'Cause this is gettin' silly."

Just as Rosela took out her phone, X.R had found her. He was glad she was okay, but he wondered what happened to Ty who was nowhere to be seen.

"Shouldn't he have been at the square?" X.R asked himself quietly, rubbing his glass helmet confusedly. "That is where Rosie said he was going to meet her."

Suddenly, X.R yelled in fright as he felt himself being pushed into a dark alley. Rosela heard that yelling that sounded just like X.R.

" _Is X.R spyin' on us again?_ " Rosela felt steamed as she started looking for the little bot. " _I am gonna kill him!_ "

X.R had his optics closed until he felt himself being pressed against a brick wall.

"So...spying on our friends, are we, Little One?" said a familiar voice that X.R had always feared. The Ranger bot looked to see it was in fact the very robotic villain who had been every robot's nightmare for too long. "Now that's not what friends should do," he lectured with the same smirk that always haunted X.R.

"Nos-4-A2!"

"None other."

"But...you can't be on Capital Planet!" X.R denied. "How'd you get pass the defenses?"

"I have ways," Nos-4-A2 answered simply. "Just like I have ways to trick a certain human girl into thinking she was going to meet someone at the square."

X.R was horrified to know this. "You mean, you impersonated as Ty and called her to come to the square alone?"

Nos-4-A2 grinned, impressed with X.R's deduction. "Very good guess, Little One. I guess you are more brain food than junk food than I thought."

"Wh-what are you gonna do to her?"

"That is for me to know and for _her_ to find out." Nos-4-A2's face then turned into a deadly look. "And I do not want witnesses. Now you're going to learn the consequences of meddling into other people's affairs, but I will give you this small piece of good news: Though I'd like to make your demise as slow as possible, I'll just do this swiftly since I'm in a hurry."

X.R shook terribly, not believing this was happening. Nos-4-A2 was going to finish him off and he was going to take his personal revenge against Rosela?

X.R closed his optics as he braced for his death when Nos-4-A2 leaned close to the little guy's power pack to steal all of his energy.

Before his fangs touched X.R's neck, Nos-4-A2 felt himself being pulled back as Rosela grabbed his cape and swung him away from X.R who looked to see Rosela who had come to his rescue.

Nos-4-A2 ended up flying into the opposite wall before falling on the ground, stunned from the impact.

X.R saw a flag above the energy vampire and had an idea.

"Rosie, stand back!"

X.R stood in front of Rosela as he used his blaster to shoot the flag down and drop right onto Nos-4-A2 who struggled viciously under the large flag.

X.R held Rosela in his arms as he used his built-in jetpack to fly in the air.

Nos-4-A2 used his claws to tear the flag to shreds, looking around with a enraged look to find that both Rosela and X.R were gone.

He spread his holographic orange wings, taking off in the air in a fierce search for the two.

" _I couldn't care less whether I literally suck the life out of that insufferable robot Ranger or not. But one way or another, I_ will _have her_!"

As X.R kept flying with Rosela in his hold, she asked, "X.R, are you all right?"

"Yeah, and, boy, do I owe you big time," X.R smiled.

Rosela grinned, grateful she had saved her little comrade.

" _And to think, I thought of killing him when Nos-4-A2 was to do it for real._ " "X.R, how did Nos-4-A2 get to Capital Planet?"

"I don't know...but I know why he's here..." X.R said regretfully. "He's after you."

"I'm not surprised," Rosela said grimly. " _I did ruin his plans, so of course he'd be after me._ " She blinked when she realized something. "Wait a minute, you mean, he made me think Ty was meeting me here?"

"Yeah, and he was going to wipe me out because I'm a witness."

"Okay, we've got to get back to the hotel and tell the others. While you fly, I'll call them." Rosela pulled out her phone and dialed for Mira's phone number, but the phone couldn't get a signal at all. "What's wrong with this stupid thing?" Rosela hissed angrily. "My phone should be workin' just fine."

"Hang on, let me try my communicator." Rosela wrapped her arms around X.R's shoulders as he tried using his wrist communicator, but it wasn't working, either. "Hey, what gives!" he cried in distress.

Rosela looked over X.R's shoulder and saw Nos-4-A2 flying straight at them. "X.R, he's right there!" Rosela warned. X.R gasped when he, too, saw the killing machine. X.R held onto Rosela as he tried to evade him by flying around buildings.

This chase was only throwing the two Rangers off coarse from the hotel. Rosela knew sooner or later Nos-4-A2 would catch up...

Then she spotted something down below. It was a delivery service which brings stuff to the hotel.

"X.R, land there! I have an idea!"

"Whatever the idea is, I love it and let's do it!" X.R proclaimed.

X.R managed to land close to the door. Rosela stood on her feet as she took X.R's right arm and pulled him inside.

"I don't think he saw us come in, but we have to do this quickly," Rosela said as she led the way down a long hall. "This place imports stuff to the hotel...so maybe we can get a lift."

"Oh, I get it, we'll ask someone to take us safely to the hotel," X.R thought. "Brilliant!"

" _X.R doesn't realize the full plan yet...and when he does, he won't love it._ "

Rosela saw a room that said "Speed Delivery". Rosela took X.R inside for them to see a small red delivery container.

"X.R, this is the quickest way to get back to the hotel."

"Wait, you're saying we ride in this?"

"It's fast and it leads straight to the hotel. It's perfectly safe," Rosela said as she let go of X.R and opened the container's door.

"But how can you and I fit in there?"

"Don't worry about that. You step inside and I'll set the coordinates. Just trust me."

X.R was about to protest, but Rosela gently pushed him inside the container before she pressed the buttons to set the coordinates for the hotel.

"Okay, X.R," Rosela announced as she walked back to the container, touching the door. "This should take you to safety. You'll be just fine."

X.R was baffled by what she was talking about, then Rosela closed and locked the door...without getting herself into the container along with him!

"Wait, wait!" X.R cried, his hands on the window. "Rosie, what are you doing?"

"Only you can get away, X.R. You have to get back to the hotel and warn the others."

" _I_ have to go back? What about you?"

"I'll try to elude Nos-4-A2 the best I can until you get help. It's up to you."

X.R didn't want this. He didn't want to leave Rosela behind when Nos-4-A2 was still out there.

"Rosie, no, wait!" he pleaded, banging his hands on the window.

"Good luck, X.R," Rosela said with a smile.

Then just like that, the container was sucked into the hole in the ground, going faster than the speed of light as X.R yelled, "Rosie! Rosie...!"

X.R put his hands on his helmet as his optics shedded tears. "Oh, why? Why?" he sobbed. "This isn't fair..."

X.R slowly slid his hands off his glass helmet, then Rosela's request to find backup echoed in his mind.

He tightened his fists as he told himself, "Get ahold of yourself, Ranger. Rosie told you to get the guys, and that's what you're going to do. Besides, Rosie always has ways to make things difficult for her enemies. She won't get caught that easily."

At least...X.R hoped so...

* * *

Rosela was relieved she had saved X.R. There was no sense of X.R getting killed along with her in case Nos-4-A2 caught up.

Rosela then started to wonder if she ought to just hide in this delivery room until X.R got help.

"I might as well... Without my jet-pack, I'm grounded and it's hard to get away from an enemy with wings."

Then, to her complete shock, the door opened quietly but quickly, a shadow looming on the wall in front of Rosela who knew very well whose shadow it was which almost made her heart stop.

She turned sharply to see Nos-4-A2 himself standing right before her. She felt frozen when she was face-to-face with the villain who once lied to her and used her to attack her fellow Rangers.

Nos-4-A2 looked to see Rosela whom he smiled at her which only sent chills down her spine.

"Rosela. Dearest, sweetest loveliest Rosela," he pronounced.

Rosela slightly raised her eyebrow in confusion as she asked herself, " _Why is he saying nice words when he's seeking vengeance?_ "

"How'd you know we came in here?" Rosela asked, wanting to make him talk before he decided to grab her.

"Simple," he replied, pointing his left finger on his left optic. "My monocle helped me track the Little One's jet-pack trail that I can see even in the dark. Pretty convenient, wouldn't you agree?"

Nos-4-A2 blinked in confusion when he tried looking for someone else in the room. "Now where is the Little One?"

"Not on the menu," she answered clearly, giving the villain a firm look. "You'll never get your fangs on him now."

Nos-4-A2 noticed the delivery shuttle behind her which helped him figure out how she got X.R away.

"So you literally delivered him to safety, did you?" He grinned as he shrugged. "Oh, well, that's that. Normally, I'd love to have my revenge on that infuriating tin of snack chips..." His grin grew bigger which gave Rosela chills again. "...but everything I want is right in front of me."

Rosela didn't know what to do. She didn't have her weapons, her suit, her jet-pack, nothing. So she decided to do what she did best: improvise.

"Please, tell me, how'd you get to Capital Planet?"

"Why, I flew here, of course," he teased, but she wasn't amused.

"I mean, how'd you get past the planet's defenses?" she asked calmly.

"Oh, it's just a little thing called a cloaking device that I installed myself with a while back. It doesn't make my body invisible, but it helps me hide under defense radars... Quite literally."

"How handy," Rosela remarked flatly. "Now I don't have to ask how you tricked me into coming to the square. You obviously changed your voice to sound like Ty's."

"Correct, my dear," he replied with a grin, motioning his left hand to her. "Of course," he added, swiftly bringing his hand back to himself, "I didn't count on Little One following you, but that matters not." He smiled as he held his claws in front of himself, ready to touch her. "You will come with me now."

Rosela stood still as he floated towards her, his arms just three inches from her. To his bewilderment, she held his wrists and flipped him over her head until his back hit the floor.

"I'll have to pass, thank you," she called on her way out as she turned right and ran straight for the exit.

He sat straight up with an unsatisfied frown on his face as he looked at the door. "Why must women play hard to get?" He stood up as he smoothed out his cape, a grin on his lips. "But...I'm up for a little game of tag."

Rosela really didn't know where to go. She didn't even know how to find her way back to the hotel. All she wanted right now was to get away from him.

When she came outside, she saw an abandoned metal bar on the ground and picked it up, then she went off to find someplace to hide. She approached a dark alley that she thought she could stay in for the moment.

She crouched behind a pile of crates as she held the metal bar against her chest as she breathed slowly, her heart pounding from all of this terror. She badly wished for X.R to bring help before that crazed vampire found her.

She heard a familiar flapping coming from electrical wings and saw a red light touching the alley's walls. She knew Nos-4-A2 was flying, so she stayed perfectly still until he would leave.

Nos-4-A2 searched carefully around the alley, then he spotted a pile of crates which made him smirk when he realized where his target was. He flew out of the alley to make Rosela think he left, then he hid his wings and attached himself to the alley wall that he climbed on.

He carefully crawled across the wall until he could see the pile of crates below him and he found Rosela was indeed hiding there. He grinned as he started quietly climbing down.

Rosela peeked over the crates and saw no sign of Nos-4-A2 at first, but then she heard something clicking against the wall above her. She glanced upwards and she could make out someone climbing down the wall. Her eyes widened when she knew who it was.

With lightning speed, she jumped over the crates to his astonishment and aggravation as he detached himself from the wall and tried to grab her.

Rosela tried to time it perfectly by looking at his shadow on the alley wall on her left. And when he was getting close, she swung her metal bar at him but he caught the metal bar in his left hand with ease, leaving Rosela dismayed.

Nos-4-A2 had a calm smile when he looked at the metal bar that he pulled out of Rosela's hands, studying her weapon with an amused expression.

"A metal bar?" he queried, looking at her with a smile that striked fear in her heart. "Now that's adorable. Pitiful, but adorable. Though I suppose," he said as he twirled the metal bar in his left fingers, "without your Space Ranger suit, your options for protecting yourself are limited."

Rosela glanced to the right when she spotted a rag on a crate next to her. She quickly grabbed the large rag and threw it at his face, making him drop the metal bar as Rosela turned around and ran for it.

Rosela was starting to think she was done for. The more she was eluding him, the more she thought it would have angered him to make her death more painful.

Then she spotted a construction zone ahead of her. It was a 15-floor skycraper that looked like it was almost completed.

Nos-4-A2 took to the skies, already getting very tired of this game. He used his red optics as binoculars to help him see Rosela who just stepped inside a skyscraper.

He grinned evilly, putting his hands together. "Now I have her."

Rosela ran all the way up the 15th floor, her legs starting to hurt when she finally climbed all of the stairs. She panted for a moment, then she stepped inside a room with a glass door.

When Rosela closed the glass door, she could see in the reflection someone standing behind her...someone with glowing red eyes and a victorious grin on his metal face.

" _Him!"_

Rosela gasped, then she felt his right hand covering her mouth, his left arm wrapping around her arms and waist, keeping her close to his chest.

He leaned close to her right ear. "Tag. You're it," he sang.

Rosela's heart sank as a tear fell down her right cheek. " _This is it. I'm so sorry, X.R. I did my best._ "

Rosela closed her eyes as she braced herself for her demise as she shook with fear.

Nos-4-A2 could feel her shaking and he caught a glimpse of a tear on her face.

He smiled calmly as he whispered, "Calm yourself, Rosela. I didn't do all this to destroy you."

Rosela was stunned as she opened her eyes and held herself still.

" _He...doesn't want to destroy me?_ "

Nos-4-A2 put her on her feet and gently turned her to face him as he made her lean against the door, his hands on her shoulders.

"That's what you thought this was about, isn't it?" he queried with a grin. "You thought I wanted revenge on you for ruining my plans, didn't you?"

His left hand held a lock of her red hair that he used to wipe the tear off her face.

"Well, you can put that thought to rest because that's not what I've come to Capital Planet for."

Rosela couldn't believe what she was hearing. He had no vendetta? But from what she had learned about him from her friends, he would always want revenge against his enemies...but if he did, he would have killed her right now and he would kill without hesitation.

" _So he really doesn't want revenge..._ " Rosela realized. "So what do you want, then?" She had a firm look when she thought of something as she pushed his hand out of her hair. "Let me guess, you want to use me for another evil plan?"

He laughed in response, waving his left hand dismissively. "Oh, no, that's not it at all. I know better than to use you as a tool ever again."

Rosela felt dumbfounded. He doesn't want revenge or to use her for any plans...? What was he playing at?

"Then what could this possibly be about?" " _Dare I ask._ "

Nos-4-A2 smiled at her as he put his left hand back on her shoulder. "You really can't tell?" he questioned, tracing his right finger on her left cheek. "Now think carefully, Rosela. If this isn't about revenge or any evil plot, what, oh, what could this mean?"

Rosela was frightened from his touch on her face, but she moved her eyes to look at the floor as she tried to understand what this was about.

" _If he doesn't want to hurt me or use me... Well...what-_ "

Then she felt his finger tracing down her neck to her shoulder to her arm which was scaring her to death, but then she felt his right hand wrapping itself around her left hand, his thumb rubbing on her knuckles.

Rosela's eyes widened when she had a horrible realization. " _No... No way._ "

Nos-4-A2 noticed her expression and smirked. "Ah, I think you know the answer," he pronounced.

"Yes...but I'd rather hear you say it," she requested, though she was terrified to know the truth. His right hand tilted her chin up again, his smirk never faltering.

"Gladly," he replied, holding her left hand close to him. "Simply put, dear Rosela, after our encounter on Star Command, I've missed the pleasure of your charming company. In fact, I've missed it terribly." He gently squeezed her hand as he finished. "Which is why I've decided I would stop at nothing to have you at my side again."

He brought her hand close to his face, then to her complete shock, she felt his cold lips touching her hand that he kept kissing for several seconds.

" _No...no..._ " Rosela denied, not wanting to believe this. " _He actually... But he can't. If he does, then..he'll never let me go..._ "

The thought of something so unbearably horrible made her feel dizzy to the point where she fainted and started to fall. Nos-4-A2 caught her in his arms, then he tilted her chin to see she was unconscious.

He grinned as he gently had her sit against the door so he could slip his cape off his shoulders and wrap it around Rosela to keep her warm.

He held her bridal style, looking fondly at her for a moment before he flew out of the window, holding an unconscious Rosela close as he set off into the night with his prize.


	3. Aboarding the Vampire's Vessel

**Chapter 3: Aboarding the Vampire's Vessel**

Nos-4-A2 was flying out of the city where he had abducted Rosela who still laid unconscious in his arms and wrapped in his cloak. He intended to take her somewhere no one would never find her.

He flew high in the sky until he came close to his vessel. Once he entered, he ordered his vessel to set coarse for an abandoned planet he had found a while back where no one goes to, somewhere very, very far away from inhabited worlds.

The vessel obeyed his command and started departing from Capital Planet right away. Nos-4-A2 grinned in satisfaction, then he turned his attention to Rosela whom he smiled at. He rubbed his left cheek against her forehead for a minute, soaking in her touch.

"At last...you're mine," he whispered with ecstasy dripping his voice. "And only mine."

He left the helm to bring her to a room he had made for her. He gently placed her on a bed before he took his cape off her and put it back on his shoulders.

Then he took a look at the outfit Rosela was currently wearing, fingering her purple flutter shirt.

"These clothes do look lovely on you," he admitted, then he smirked as his right hand cupped her left cheek, "but I have something better for you."

He snapped his left fingers to give his vessel orders. "Put Rosela in that dress I've designed for her."

Nos-4-A2 left the room to return to the helm to make sure they were leaving Capital Planet undetected.

Both the planet and that wretched Star Command seemed far away right now, making him nod.

"Good, good..."

His vessel notified its Dark Master that Rosela was in her dress already. He returned to her room to see her in a long, black silk dress with sleeves. He was amazed at the sight of her.

"I was right, you look even lovelier in this," he remarked.

He rested his elbows on the edge of her bed, admiring her for a long time.

He gloated to himself how his plan worked because it only took a voice impersonation and a holographic projection of that partner of hers, Ty Parsec.

" _Too easy._ "

Then he thought about X.R whom Rosela helped get away.

"It really matters not. The Little One has no idea where we are, so a search mission is an impossible mission."

He reached his right hand to stroke her left cheek.

"How torturous it was to wait for your presence again...but the time of waiting is over."

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, rubbing his left cheek in her hair.

"The only thing to wait for now, my precious, is to travel to our home where we'll start our lives together..."


	4. Persuasion

**Chapter 4: Persuasion**

Back on Capital Planet, Ty was in his hotel room, standing in front of a tall shaded lamp that he pretended was his partner Rosela as he rehearsed on what he wanted to ask her soon.

"Rosela," he said with a smile, "You doing anything tonight? 'Cause I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the Capital Empire Building to see the stars. I mean, I know how much you love stargazing. Maybe we could stargaze together?"

"Oh, I'd love to," said a familiar deep male voice behind Ty who jumped in surprise before he turned to see his friend Buzz smiling miscievously at him.

Buzz and Ty shared a hotel room, like Booster and X.R did, and Rosela and Mira.

"Do not do that, please," Ty requested, looking unamused.

"Sorry, but I must tell you, though, lamps don't have the eyes to stargaze," Buzz joked.

Ty faked a laugh. "Very funny," Ty replied with a grin. "I was only pretending this lamp was Rosela so I could practice asking her to come to town with me."

"Ah," Buzz understood, "but why would you need to practice, pray tell?"

"Because..." Ty began to say, then he pressed his fingers together as he tried to explain without revealing everything. "...I..."

Buzz grinned and waved his hands. "It's fine, you don't have to explain it."

Actually, Buzz had a feeling that perhaps Ty wanted to ask Rosela on a D.A.T.E. Buzz hoped Ty would because everyone on Star Command knew about Ty and Rosela's feelings for each other and they all had been eagerly waiting for the two of them to get together for a long time.

In fact, that was why Ty wanted to take Rosela to stargaze so he could be alone with her and tell her his feelings once and for all. He had always loved how kind and humorous she was, and he always felt better with her around.

" _And tonight, I'm gonna tell her exactly how I feel. I just hope I don't say anything stupid._ "

Meanwhile, Mira was in the hotel room reading a magazine on a plush red chair when she heard a knock on her door. She put her magazine down and went to see who it was. She was surprised to see the gentle Jo-Adian.

"Booster?"

"Hi, sorry to bother you," Booster said, looking in her room, "but I was wondering if X.R was with you."

"No, why?"

"Well, I haven't seen him since we all came up the elevator together and he never said where he was going."

Mira was starting to feel curious about that herself. When she thought about it, she had an idea.

"Hold on, you don't think he went to spy on Ty and Rosela, when I specifically told him not to?" Mira asked sternly.

Booster gasped. "He wouldn't."

"Well, why don't we ask Buzz just to make sure?" she suggested.

They headed for Buzz and Ty's hotel door that Mira knocked on.

Buzz opened the door to see two of his teammates.

"Hi, Buzz," Booster greeted. "Say, is X.R with you?" he asked hopefully.

"No, I haven't seen him in a while," Buzz answered.

Mira slapped her right hand on her forehead. So, if X.R wasn't with Buzz, then she thought he must have went off to spy on Ty and Rosela.

When Mira's right hand started to slip off her face, she was shocked to see Ty in the room. "Ty?"

Booster looked to also see Ty to his surprise. "Ty, what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Ty asked when he stood next to Buzz.

"Weren't you walking with Rosela at the square?" Mira queried.

Ty blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Well, a few minutes ago, we saw Rosela in the lobby all dressed up and she said she was going to stroll through the square with you and then go to dinner," Mira explained.

"She said that?" Ty questioned, feeling completely baffled. "But...I don't know anything about that. In fact, I haven't spoken with Rosela for nearly an hour."

Booster and Mira looked at each other in astonishment.

"Hold on, Ty hasn't seen or spoken to Rosela for an hour and you say you saw her leaving the hotel a few minutes ago?" Buzz asked carefully.

"Yes," Mira nodded.

"But why would she say that?"

"Well, I don't think she'd lie about it... So she must have thought she was going to town with you if she said that."

"But what would make her think that?" Ty asked.

He wasn't liking this one bit. What could possibly make Rosela say a thing like that? Sure, he wanted to spend time with her, but he hadn't seen her in several minutes.

"Hang on, you said X.R was missing, right?" Buzz checked, wondering if X.R's disappearance connected with all of this.

Speaking of which, the little Ranger robot showed up, rolling down the hall to his fellow Rangers...rather hurriedly.

"Guys, guys!" X.R cried frantically. "Rosie, all a trick, gotta help!"

"Whoa, slow down, X.R," Buzz said as he, Booster and Mira ushered X.R inside, Ty closing the door as all four Rangers listened close to X.R. "Now what about Rosela?" Buzz asked, his hands on X.R's shoulders.

"Ty wasn't supposed to meet Rosie at the square at all!" X.R started before he noticed Ty in the room.

"Yeah, we all figured that out," Buzz said.

"But it was a trap!"

That made everyone's heart drop.

"Trap? What do you mean trap?" Ty asked seriously.

"It's Nos-4-A2! He got through Capital Planet's defenses and tricked Rosie into going to the square!"

Nos-4-A2 was on Capital Planet?!

"Nos-4-A2 has her?!" Mira cried, scared to death as the others were.

"I don't know. We were running away together, but Rosie put me in a delivery container that brought me here..." X.R looked at the floor with a sorrowful face. "She...didn't want Nos-4-A2 to get me. She sent me to get help."

Buzz gripped his right fist and patted X.R's back to comfort him.

"Don't feel guilty, X.R. She was right to send you to safety. At least we know the crisis and..." Buzz pulled out a small green square-shaped device with a screen. "...thankfully the LGMs made tracking devices for all Rangers in case anything happens."

Buzz turned on the device to try to pinpoint Rosela's location. To everyone's shock, her location wasn't anywhere on Capital Planet. In fact, her signal was leaving the planet.

"He's taking her into space?" Booster asked with wide eyes.

The four Rangers thought Nos-4-A2 would rather have his revenge on Rosela on an isolated location.

Buzz put away the device and announced clearly, "Okay, people, vacation time is over. One of our own is in grave danger."

Everyone nodded firmly and raced out of the hotel to return to Star Command to start an immediate rescue mission.

* * *

On Nos-4-A2's vessel, the energy vampire was slipping a black blanket on Rosela's slumbering form before he stroked his left hand on her hair. She had been asleep for a few minutes and he was eager for her to open her eyes.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

Nos-4-A2 left to find something in his room. He went up to a wall where something shiny was hanging there: a star-shaped emerald necklace. He held the clasp in his right hand as he let the jewel dangle so beautifully.

He grinned, confident that Rosela was going to love this gift. He played with the tiny green star in his left fingers as he thought she would love him even more.

* * *

Rosela was starting to stir as she felt herself on a bed under the covers. At first, she thought she was safe at the hotel with her friends on Capital Planet and that her horrendous undergo with Nos-4-A2 was a terrible dream.

She relaxed herself as she hugged and nuzzled in her pillow, feeling so grateful. But when she started opening her eyes, she saw that there were no windows.

" _What in the galaxies?!"_

She sat up as she discovered she was in a dark room with a mirror on the left side of the room and a black drawer across from her. The mattress she was sitting on had black blankets that she slipped off to find she was wearing a black silk dress.

Rosela was completely confused about all this, but then she realized in horror that her nightmare was real.

She panted and shook in fear as she held her arms, not wanting to believe this. She looked up at the ceiling to find there was a window that showed the stars which...looked like they were moving.

" _No, the stars aren't moving...but this place is. Which means... No! No! This can't be his vessel!_ "

Rosela got out of bed and tried to walk, but she couldn't stop shaking, her eyes wide in fear.

" _What am I going to do?_ " she wondered desperately, holding her shaking arms again. " _If I'm stuck on his vessel, I can't escape on my own..._ "

She let go of her arms as she remembered something important.

" _Wait, the tracking devices the LGMs gave us. If I still have it, Ty and the others can find me... But wait, it has to be in my other clothes._ "

She looked around wildly, not seeing her other clothes around. She spotted the dark drawer, making her wonder if her tracker was in there.

* * *

Nos-4-A2 was floating back to her room, still admiring the necklace in his left hand. Then when he was at her door, he could see Rosela awake with her back to him as she started walking to the drawer.

His face lit up with joy as he put the necklace in his cape's pocket, straightening the cape touching his shoulders before he floated inside the room.

Rosela was about to rummage through the drawers but before she could even touch them, she nearly screamed when she felt cold arms wrapping themselves around her, holding her tight.

Rosela glanced down to see the familiar silver metal arms and claws that kept her in their grasp.

" _He's here..._ "

Rosela flinched when he slipped his right hand to hold hers that he brought to his face, kissing her hand longingly. When he stopped, he leaned to her left ear.

"You've come back to me at last, my love," he whispered seductively.

Hearing him call her that made her feel dizzy and sick. She did her best to keep her body from shivering as she waited for what terrible seduction he would force upon her.

He unwrapped his arms off her upper torso as he put his hands on her shoulders that he massaged, almost making her gasp from his touch that felt so icy it could nearly pierce through her skin like icicles.

"In case you haven't figured it out, this is my vessel," he explained as he kept squeezing her shoulders. "We're currently heading to a location only I know about, but I won't tell you what that location is until we arrive. I'm saving it as a surprise."

" _Wonderful,_ " she thought sarcastically. " _Normally, I love surprises, but I don't love any surprises of_ his!"

He stopped rubbing her shoulders as he held her long hair in his right hand, holding it against his right cheek, enjoying her hair's soft texture.

"Until then," he went on as he held her hair, "you'll be staying in this room. I hope it's to your liking."

" _No, it's not. Nothing on this vessel is to my liking, especialy its owner._ "

"Now, let me look at you."

He turned her around to admire the silk dress on her with a satisfied smirk on his face. He cupped her right cheek, making Rosela frozen into place.

"A stunning dark beauty. Oh, yes, here."

He sticked his right hand inside his cape to pull out a necklace that he held with both hands.

"Another gift."

Rosela closed her eyes out of fright as he slipped the necklace over her head, the clasp wrapped around her hair that he freed, holding her crimson locks as he smiled calmly at the green star resting on her chest.

Rosela opened her eyes to see the jewelry, making her wonder, " _Where in the universe did he get this? Well, obviously he stole it._ "

He fingered with the star-shaped gem with a small grin. "I was right, it matches your green eyes perfectly. You should see yourself."

He gently pushed her in front of the full length mirror, his hands on her upper arms.

Rosela couldn't believe he even had her in this dress. If she thought she hated it when he first used her as a puppet, she was hating being treated like a doll now.

" _And he's going to continue playing with me like a doll..._ "

Now Rosela was sure she was going to throw up. She couldn't handle the thought of him treating her like a love-toy.

Nos-4-A2 wondered at first why she was so quiet, but then he grinned as he hugged her from behind to her fear as his hands grasped hers.

"I know this is all so sudden," he began to say, "with me showing up and bringing you here like this, but let me just explain my affections for you. You see, when I first met you, I didn't imagine to have found such a delightful young woman like yourself. As I got to know you, you've put me in moods I've never been in before."

He held her tighter as he gently squeezed her hands. "Never has anyone impressed me with such wit and appeal as yours."

Rosela remembered when she did make Nos-4-A2 laugh and that she was polite with him when he held her prisoner weeks ago. Rosela had to mind her manners with her captor because angering him would've been dangerous, but she wanted to show him a good time to help him want to make friends with people instead of hurting them...

" _Instead of getting him to desire friendship, he's desiring love from me... My plan to help him change was a complete failure and it's getting me in more trouble with him now._ " Rosela thought, feeling so mad at herself for trying to help him when she thought it was a completely wasted effort.

"After our encounter on Star Command, I was starting to feel something I had never felt before I met you: loneliness," he continued.

He leaned the right side of his face against the left side of her head, making her squeeze her eyes shut which he didn't notice.

"Rosela," he spoke softly which sort of surprised her to hear such a tone from him. "You must know, I crave you more than energy."

He held her left hand that he placed against his left cheek, closing his optics as he enjoyed her touch, nuzzling his face in her palm.

Rosela was starting to feel lightheaded from all of this madness and terror as she panted softly, begging for this to stop. She almost whimpered when she felt him kissing her palm deeply.

He leaned to her left ear to whisper, "You _are_ my energy."

He kept standing behind her as he gently put his hands on her cheeks, Rosela feeling dizzy from all of this.

"Rosela, let me have your affections as I have given you mine," he cajoled with a desirous grin, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. "Accept me, my love."

Rosela thought she was going to fall down from being touched like this, but she kept herself standing before freeing herself from his touch as she stood in the middle of the room.

"No!" she said clearly, holding her fists in front of her, giving him a firm look. "I can't accept you. Nos-4-A2, after our encounter on Star Command, my fellow Rangers told me everything about you. How you mercilessly feasted on innocent robots and how you tried to kill my Ranger friends more than once as well as innocent people."

Rosela swung her hands in a refusing gesture. "If you think I'll give my affections to such a cruel violent guy, you're sadly mistaken. I'll never love an evil being like you. Never."

Rosela stood boldly as she waited for him to respond. Actually, she thought he would be enraged for saying all that to him, but if she had to fight for her life, so be it.

" _There are things worse than death, and having a villain treating me as a love-toy for the rest of my life is one of them._ "

Nos-4-A2 looked a bit...sad to Rosela's surprise. She thought he would have a much angrier look, but she braced herself for his wrath that she believed would come soon.

Instead to her confusion, Nos-4-A2's left hand held his chin as he did a little thinking.

" _Is he thinking of how to do away with me?_ " Rosela gripped her fists. " _Well, bring it on. I'm willing to fight to the end._ "

Nos-4-A2 then grinned which made Rosela ready for his attack, but to her bewilderment, he announced, "Oh, yes, you will," he said confidently.

Rosela looked with stunned eyes. " _What?_ "

"If I can love you despite how good you are," he started to say, pointing at her before he pointed at himself, "then you can love me despite how evil I am."

" _Is he for real?!_ "

"And though I may be cruel and violent to others, I will always be a gentleman towards you," he promised, his right hand on his chest. "That's sure to win your affections."

Rosela couldn't believe his logic. He was more insane than she thought him to be. "It isn't that simple."

"Oh, sure it is," he disagreed as he slowly floated towards her.

Rosela was growing fearful as she took two steps back which only made him increase his speed.

She turned around to try to avoid his reach, but it was in vain when he hugged her from behind, picking her up from the floor. She shut her eyes as she started to shake, feeling more terrified than ever.

Nos-4-A2 kept his right arm wrapped around her arms and waist as he brought his left hand to touch her left cheek.

"All it takes is a little persuasion," he claimed before he leaned close to whisper, " _Romantic_ persuasion."

Before she knew it, he started kissing the right side of her face, shocking Rosela who felt still as stone as he deeply kissed her jaw line to her cheek to her temple.

She starting to feel lightheaded again as she panted softly, her head feeling hot.

" _No... No... I don't want this. I want a good man to touch me, not someone so evil... Ty...please, I beg of you, save me._ "

Nos-4-A2 took his lips off her face as looked at her to see if she liked it, but her expression didn't look very happy to him. He grinned as he shook his head, then he wrapped his left arm around her as he unwrapped his right arm off her. He reached his right hand to pull the left side of his cape that he wrapped around Rosela whose chin he tilted, making her flinch.

"So, you still haven't accepted me yet, my pet?" he queried, stroking the back of his right fingers on her left cheek.

He closed his optics as he slipped his right hand behind her head that he tilted backwards.

"Then it looks like I'm going to have to be more persuasive."

He gently stroked his right finger up and down her neck, making her quietly gasp from feeling his sharp finger that thankfully didn't hurt her skin.

"You know, I learned that lovers enjoy expressing their feelings right here," he explained, gently tapping his finger on her neck.

He smiled as he put his hand behind her head again. "Why don't we see how much fun this is?" he suggested as he leaned his face close to her neck.

Before he could even make contact with her throat, there was a beeping sound which came from his red monocle that blinked. His vessel was notifying him of something.

He almost wanted to growl from this interruption, but he kept quiet as his vessel reported for only him to hear, Rosela hearing nothing as he kept her in his hold.

After hearing the vessel's report of an emergency, it left Nos-4-A2 concerned. He looked at Rosela whose eyes closed as she lay limp in his grasp. He couldn't ignore this emergency, so he held her bridal style as he brought her to the bed.

"Forgive me, my love, but I have an urgent matter to attend to with my vessel," he apologized as he laid her down, bringing the black blanket to her shoulders. "But I shall return, and when I do..." He traced his left finger up and down her neck, Rosela flinching again. "...we'll resume where we left off. Until then..." He cupped her left cheek as he leaned to kiss her right jawline, tears starting to prick Rosela's eyes as he left the room, locking the door behind him.

She slowly sat up, taking deep breaths as she tried to keep herself calm, but her shoulders twitched like crazy. She touched her jawline, his icy touch still lingering on her face...

" _I...I can't believe this happened... A villain kissed my face._ " Tears fell as she slipped her right hand to touch her throat. " _And he was going to kiss my neck, too..._ "

Rosela felt so filthy to have a villain attached to her like that. ...And he was going to come back to do it again!

She quickly got out of bed and ran up to the drawer, desperately wanting to find her tracker before he came back. She searched the top drawer where she found her clothes, pulling out her white panats to pull out the little rocket-shaped tracker that was still beeping which meant it was functioning just fine.

She sighed with relief as more tears fell down. Now she just had to wait until help arrived. She held the tracker in both hands as she closed her wet eyes, her shoulders shaking with terror.

" _X.R, please get help fast. I'm counting on you. I need help now more than ever..._ "


	5. Protective Arms

**Chapter 5: Protective Arms**

Ty and the others returned to Star Command where they informed Commander Nebula of Rosela. The LGMs gave them a small oxygen backpack they had made, wanting the Rangers to take it with them so Rosela could use it to breathe when they would break her out of Nos-4-A2's vessel.

Ty rode with Buzz and the others on Team Lightyear's cruiser 42. Good Ranger Parsec couldn't believe any of this. He was always afraid Nos-4-A2 would come after her and it finally happened.

Of course, he didn't understood just what the energy vampire really wanted with her yet. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to leave Rosela in his claws for another second.

Booster had held onto the tracking device to pinpoint Rosela's location. "I'm getting her reading, Buzz," Booster informed. "She's close by."

"Yes, there it is!" Mira cried with joy when she pointed at the energy vampire's vessel that was moving ahead of 42.

"Wait, you can see his vessel?" Booster asked. "But...the radar doesn't detect Nos-4-A2's ship."

"Well, maybe the radar's on the fritz 'cause his vessel is as plain as day," X.R commented.

"No, wait, maybe Nos-4-A2 installed his vessel with a cloaking device and that's why our radars can't detect it," Buzz deducted, "but that's the least of our worries. The point is: Rosela's in there. Here's the plan, Ty and I sneak up on the vessel and cause a few damages to get his attention and when he leaves Rosela alone, Mira gets her out of there."

When everyone agreed, Ty and Buzz and Mira flew out of 42 where Booster and X.R stayed in. Rangers Lightyear and Parsec flew to the bottom of the vessel while Mira flew to the rear of the vessel.

Buzz and Ty used their lasers to create holes in the bottom of the vessel which alerted Nos-4-A2 right away. The two male Rangers flew away as soon as Nos-4-A2 came out of his vessel to investigate the damage.

Mira ghosted herself through the vessel where she saw Rosela alone in a dark room. The Tangian was overjoyed to see she was alive.

"Rosela," she whispered, spooking the human redhead who turned around in surprise and amazement to see her blue friend.

Mira landed inside the room as Rosela walked up, the two female Rangers hugging. Mira wasted no time and urged her to wear the oxygen backpack. Rosela did so as she pulled the emerald necklace off her and dropped it on the ground. She held onto Mira who ghosted them both out of the vessel and straight to 42.

Right after the Rangers' cruiser left, Nos-4-A2 returned inside his vessel, still confused as to how there were holes in his ship.

"Wait a moment."

As soon as he felt suspicious, Nos-4-A2 went straight back to Rosela's room, opening the door to see that her bed was empty. He looked around the room, but she was nowhere to be around.

He caught sight of the emerald necklace lying on the floor. He picked up the star-shaped jewel that he held in his right hand as he realized she was gone.

He knew this meant only one thing. "The Rangers..." he growled.

He immediately flew out of his vessel to look for any signs of the Rangers or their cruiser...but he saw no one and nothing at all in space...

Nos-4-A2 looked at the emerald necklace, his right hand shaking when he knew the girl he worked so hard to find and claim was taken straight back to Star Command...

He gripped his hands as his face twisted in anger, screeching in rage and despair.

"How dare they take her from me?! How dare they take my precious love from me?!"

He looked at the necklace again, his demonic red optics narrowed in anger...but the anger on his face faded as sadness overwhelmed him, holding the necklace against his right cheek.

He was remembering when he had realized the passionate feelings he felt for Rosela which made him yearn for her presence. That was why he did everything to find her on Capital Planet...but now that she was taken from him, he felt even lonelier...

"No," he said firmly, looking at the necklace again. "I had her before, and I will have her again...even if I have to destroy the Rangers one at a time. She belongs to me."

* * *

Mira and Rosela were the first to return to 42 where Mira ghosted herself and Rosela at the bridge with Booster and X.R who were both ecstatic to see Rosela alive and unharmed.

"Rosie!" X.R jumped into her arms, overwhelmed that Rosela was actually all right.

"Rosela, you're okay!" Booster cried joyfully as he picked up both Rosela and X.R in a big hug.

"Whoa, easy, fellas," Rosela laughed, ever so grateful to be with her friends. Then she looked around the bridge in confusion. "Hey, where are Ty and Buzz?"

"Present and accounted for," said a grinning Buzz as he and Ty stepped in.

Booster put Rosela and X.R down as Ty put his hands on Rosela's shoulders. "Rosela, are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"I am now," Rosela replied, hugging her partner who gladly hugged her tightly. Ty was so afraid he might have lost Rosela forever, so he was the most grateful person here.

"Thank you all so much," Rosela said sincerely, shedding tears of joy that she wiped. "You don't know how happy I am to be here."

"Hey, if anybody deserves most of the credit, it's the LGMs," Buzz declared, his right hand on her left shoulder. "It's thanks to the tracker they gave you that we managed to find you."

"It was also that oxygen backpack they made that helped you breathe out here," Mira added.

"They do deserve my thanks," Rosela agreed.

Then, her friends noticed something different about her.

"Uh, Rosela...what are you wearing?" Ty questioned.

Rosela was stunned when she realized she was still wearing this stupid dress. She was also mortified because...she did not want to explain her horrible time with _him_!

But she had to tell them, so she sighed deeply. "Well, before I explain these silky threads," she said with a sour look on the floor, "I'd better tell you what was really going on tonight."

"You can tell us on the way," Buzz said as his team got 42 heading back to Star Command as they listened to Rosela's story.

"Well, you're not going to believe this, but his reason for coming for me on Capital Planet...had nothing to do with revenge."

"What?!" her friends exclaimed.

"I know, but it's true or I'd have a few scratches on me."

"Well, then, what did he want with you?" Mira asked.

"Obviously, for another evil plot," Buzz claimed.

"No, Buzz, it wasn't for another plan," Rosela corrected, shaking her head. "You see..." Rosela winced as she felt very hesitant to say this. "He said he missed the pleasure of my company."

"Wh- The pleasure of your company?" Ty echoed.

X.R gasped when he knew what it meant. "Rosie, you don't mean he..."

Rosela nodded ever so sadly, holding her arms. "He... He..." She closed her eyes that shedded tears as she shouted, "He's in love with me!"

The Rangers' jaw dropped, not believing their ears at all.

"He's what!" Ty cried, the most disturbed.

"It's true," Rosela confirmed as more tears fell. "Though I wish it wasn't, but he made it completely obvious."

"When he first had me prisoner, you know I tried to be friends with him so he'd like everybody," Rosela explained as she wiped her tears. "But apparently, my plan only made him like me in the most uncomfortable way."

When Ty saw how very miserable Rosela was feeling, he thought she must have been beyond terrified from whatever kind of seduction she dealt with.

"On Capital Planet, he told me that he would stop at nothing to keep me at his side," Rosela went on, tears never ceasing. "That means he'll come for me again very soon...and he'll destroy you all if you try to protect me."

Her fellow Rangers knew she was feeling so guilty for all of this when they knew she never tried to make a villain fall for her.

"You shouldn't despair, Rosela," Buzz insisted. "Yes, you're right, he will show up soon, but we will not be destroyed. Not if we get him first."

"Yeah, he was destroyed before, and we'll destroy him again," Ty vowed, clenching his left fist.

Rosela knew her friends had defeated Nos-4-A2 the last time, so she had to trust them... But until that happens, how was she ever going to feel better after what she had endured?

"Pardon me," she said as she stepped out of the bridge, not wanting her fellow Rangers to see her like this.

Ty remained at his spot, his eyes full of worry.

Buzz and Mira looked at each other before Mira looked back at Ty. "Why don't you go comfort her, Ty?" Mira suggested. "Clearly, she's very, very upset."

Ty nodded before he went after.

"Poor Rosela," Booster said, feeling very bad for her. "Will she be okay?"

Nobody responded, but everyone knew that Rosela wouldn't feel better until Nos-4-A2 was gone for good...and they knew that would be a while.

* * *

Rosela walked down the hall, covering her watery eyes until she stopped to lean her back against the wall.

"Rosela..."

Rosela didn't take her hands off her eyes, but she knew that was Ty speaking. She was embarrassed to have Ty seeing her like this, so she couldn't look at him in the face.

Ty couldn't believe how broken up she was, but he asked himself, " _What did I expect? Any girl would be like this if a deranged maniac was trying to take her away..._ "

Rosela wanted to calm herself down, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing out of her eyes. Tonight was the worst night of her life...

Ty didn't know the right words to console her...but he couldn't stand to see her like this, so he pulled her into his arms to her surprise.

"Rosela...it's going to be okay," he soothed, gently patting her back. "He won't have you, I promise."

Rosela didn't know what to say...but she did feel safe in Ty's arms, the arms that wanted to protect her and keep her free from the monster's grasp. There was no one else's arms she wanted to be in as she held onto Ty, the man she hoped would love her passionately...the good man she wanted to love.


	6. Trust Your Friends

**Chapter 6: Trust Your Friends**

Once Team Lightyear returned with Rosela, Star Command was deeply relieved she was back safe and sound. Rosela personally thanked the LGMs for her tracker and for the oxygen backpack which made them happy that their inventions saved the day.

Rosela went to her quarters (of which she shares with her roommate Mira) so she could change into her Ranger suit and throw away that vile silk dress that she never wanted to see again.

Mira found her in their quarters and informed Rosela that she was asked to speak with Commander Nebula to talk about tonight. Rosela was reluctant to have to talk about it again, but she had to obey the Commander's orders, so she and Mira headed there together with Mira's arm on Rosela's shoulder to provide sisterly comfort.

Ty, Buzz, Booster and X.R were waiting in the Commander's office where Rosela forced herself to explain Nos-4-A2's desire for her. Rosela also explained how he used a kind of cloaking device to hide under Capital Planet's defenses. The Commander asked where Nos-4-A2 planned to take her, but Rosela sadly informed that the energy vampire wouldn't tell her.

The Commander then decided that teams of Rangers would be on the search for the villain and until that monster was found, Rosela would have to stay inside Star Command where she'd be safe.

Rosela understood, then she and the others were dismissed. Rosela politely told her friends that she wanted to go for a walk through the halls alone for a while. Ty almost decided to follow her, but he knew she wanted to be by herself this time, so he left her be.

As Rosela walked, she thought of how things were going to be.

" _I'll have to stay inside...but for how long?_ "

Frankly, she felt like a caged bird, but she told herself it was for her own good.

" _It's either stay here or get kidnapped again. But still...what if he finds a way in...? No, no, the LGMs built new security. Even he can't break in anymore... But just what will life be like until he's stopped for good...?_ "

Her time with him still haunted her. She tried to forget about it, but it wouldn't leave her alone. His ice-cold touch still lingered on her, making her shiver.

" _Why? Why did a villain have to love me...?_ " Rosela shedded tears that she wiped, her heart wallowing. " _I want Ty to love me, not that wretched_ thing! _But no! And now I have to hide here for who knows how long until he's found. This isn't fair! Just when I thought life was getting better, everything goes wrong..._ "

She never met her father who died before she was born; Rosela's mother and only relative died, leaving her an adult orphan who was close to losing her home. Things on Capital Planet were looking awful for her and Rosela thought she would always feel empty...

But when her Ranger friends showed up and talked her into becoming a Ranger, she thought that even though a Ranger's life has its dangers, at least she had friends for once.

" _And then_ he _comes along, using me as a puppet and now he wants me as a love-doll. Why?! All I want is a life working with good friends! Why?!_ "

All she could do was blame herself for all of this. If she hadn't bothered trying to make friends with him, none of this would've happened...

" _But if he didn't love me, then he'd most likely want revenge on me._ " She held her arms as she leaned her left shoulder on the wall. " _So, it's either havin' him kill me or love me... If he wanted to kill me, then my life would probably be over... But because he wants me so badly, it's the only thing keeping me alive... I know I had thought of fighting him to the death if he despised me for not loving him, but now I realize I shouldn't have been so reckless. So...if I want my life back, I have to let him love me until the others destroy him... Letting a villain love me... Oh, how I could vomit. But what choice do I have if I want things back the way they were?_ "

"Well, life of mine," she whispered, "I'll see you when I see you."

* * *

A week in a half went by, but nobody found any traces of the energy vampire. Meanwhile, Ty and Team Lightyear were growing more concerned for Rosela who had not been looking well at all. At night, she would wake up crying because of the nightmares she had of Nos-4-A2 touching her the way he did on his vessel.

Mira would wake up and see Rosela crying her eyes out to the Tangian's heartbreak. Mira would comfort her to sleep again, but Rosela would end up getting little sleep, looking so exhausted.

Her appetite was pretty much gone because she wouldn't eat very much. Her friends would try to encourage her to eat what she needed, but Rosela would still feel too sick to eat from thinking of her nightmares that wouldn't leave her be.

Not only was she so exhausted and less energized, but she was also very jumpy. Whenever a fellow Ranger would go up to speak to her her or touch her from behind, she'd always twitch or stand in a fighting stance in case it was _him_ , but she would end up feeling embarrassed and apologizing to her fellow Rangers for her mistake.

On the 10th night when she was asleep, she had another nightmare about Nos-4-A2, but this nightmare was the worst of all.

 _She found herself standing on top of a pile of metal in the darkness and at first she thought she was in some sort of junkyard...but when she took a good look...she realized these were all robots._

 _She was confused about why they were all piled up like this and why they weren't moving... When she took a closer look, she saw that each of them had bite marks on their necks._

 _She covered her mouth in horror when she realized what all of this meant: These poor bots were all victims of Nos-4-A2..._

 _"Oh, no," she whispered, her heart shattering to see so many dead robots all around her._

 _Suddenly, she heard a familiar robot's voice from the other side of the hill of lifeless bots in front of her._

 _"X.R...?" Her eyes widened as she ran around the hill in attempt to rescue her robotic friend, but she stood frozen into place when she saw she was too late._

 _Nos-4-A2 held X.R in his claws as the robot Ranger's arms and legs dangled in Nos-4-A2's grip, Rosela seeing holes in his neck._

 _She shook her head in denial, wishing with all her might that this wasn't real._

 _Nos-4-A2 sharply turned his head around to see Rosela whom he grinned delightfully at as he dropped the dead X.R._

 _"My love, I've found you at last."_

 _Nos-4-A2 moved faster than the speed of light as he stood in front of Rosela whose left shoulder he grabbed as he tilted her chin up. He slipped his right arm around her shoulders as he brought her face close to his, his grip never loosening as his metal lips were an inch away from hers..._

Rosela finally broke free from her nightmare, panting hard as she wiped the thick sweat off her forehead, tears falling at the thought of X.R being killed mercilessly...

* * *

On day 11, Rosela was busy doing paperwork after she tested the LGMs' weapons. Since she couldn't set foot outside, Commander Nebula assigned her to do these two things for the time being because he knew Rosela wouldn't have wanted to feel useless while staying inside Star Command at all times. Plus, he thought it would help her get mind off of...things.

Rosela did her assignments well, but every now and then, memories of Nos-4-A2 touching her...and kissing her face still made her wince and shed tears. Luckily, this only happened when she would do paperwork and not in front of any of her friends.

As Rosela kept busy in the office, unbeknownst to her, her partner Ty was standing outside, leaning his back against the wall next to the door with his arms folded. He had just taken a peek to see if she was doing all right, but he kept seeing her hugging her shaking shoulders a lot.

Ty sighed as he remembered talking to Mira this morning regarding Rosela.

 **Flashback to this morning**

"She's still having nightmares about him," Mira informed Ty sadly. "In fact, last night was worse because... Well, when I saw her awake, she was hyperventilating because she dreamt of being in a robot graveyard, seeing dead robots everywhere and she saw Nos-4-A2...with X.R..."

Mira felt sick having to talk about this herself. "That's when she finally woke up. She feels so afraid of what Nos-4-A2 would do to X.R and all the other robots out there..."

 **Back to the present**

Ty closed his eyes, tightening his hands on his folded arms. " _No doubt she's scared for innocent people, too. He almost destroyed the universe...when he tried to use me..._ "

He knew Nos-4-A2 wasn't just a nightmare for Rosela. He was everybody else's nightmare, especially the innocent robots'.

Ty gritted his teeth, his left hand on his eyes. " _Why did Zurg have to re-build that energy vampire? Well, that's a dumb question. Because Zurg didn't want to let a deadly weapon go to waste._ "

He remembered a long time ago when he talked to Rosela alone about Zurg re-creating Nos-4-A2 and she once asked "How does Zurg know Nos-4-A2 won't think about betraying the evil emperor again? He is a self-thinking robot and he does sound dangerously ambitious enough."

Now Ty was beginning to wonder if Nos-4-A2 would indeed betray Zurg again.

" _Well, it'd serve Zurg right for re-building him. At least Zurg erased his memories of me as the wirewolf, but with or without me, Nos-4-A2 will most likely turn his back on him. But we don't care about Zurg, it's the whole galaxy that needs protection..._ "

Ty looked at his fists as he thought, " _If we just knew where he is... But where? He's nowhere on Trade World and we've checked all the other places with lots of machines he could feed on... Unless he's hiding where he'd tried to take Rosela... But that place would have to have some energy to feed him... In fact, I'm wondering why he hasn't showed up to try to get Rosela..._ "

Then Ty had an interesting thought, an idea that might bring the energy vampire to them. He quietly stepped away from the office door as he went to find Commander Nebula and Buzz to tell them his plan.

* * *

Rosela finally finished all of her paperwork as she leaned against her chair, stretching her arms and back that felt stiff.

"Well, that's done. Now what do I do?" she asked herself, looking at the ceiling as she rubbed her neck.

The office door opened, making her look to see X.R to her surprise. "X.R? What's up?"

"Oh, just...comin' to say hey," he said with a nervous grin.

"Uh...hey," Rosela greeted with a smile.

X.R twiddled his little purple fingers, having an expression that Rosela couldn't read.

"What's wrong, X.R? You're being awfully quiet," Rosela grinned.

X.R shrugged as he swung his left foot, trying to find the right words. Rosela tilted her head, very confused by his silence.

"Was there somethin' you wanted to ask me? You don't have to be afraid to say it," Rosela encouraged with a smile.

X.R looked at her with a sad face, then to her shock, he cried loudly as he walked up to her, leaning his dome head on her knees. Rosela looked at her friend with stunned eyes as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"X.R, why are you crying? Please tell me," she insisted, not liking to see a friend of hers upset.

"I'm so sorry!" he sobbed. "I couldn't help you get away from him on Capital Planet. When I saw his shadow on the roof, I should've called for help right away before going after ya. Or else you wouldn't have to send me to get help and force yourself to fight Nos-4-A2 alone!"

Rosela was stunned to hear X.R voice out his apology like this... "Oh, X.R, my little friend, don't be so upset. You still got help. It's thanks to you that everybody knew the situation and helped me get here."

"But I wish you didn't have to risk yourself for me."

"X.R, I had to save you. He could've picked you off easily. Now please listen here," Rosela spoke clearly, X.R looking up at her. "What's important is: You got the rescue party and we're all here safe and sound. So we should be grateful we're with our friends."

"Well...yeah," X.R said, seeing her point.

"And ya know, I never had the chance to thank you for that, so..." Rosela leaned down to kiss the top of his dome head, making his eyes look like hearts for a second which made her giggle.

"Well..." X.R gushed, holding his hands.

Rosela was pleased her friend was feeling better...but she started to think she ought to take her own advice.

" _I've been a mess for days, so I should cheer myself up knowing I'm with my friends, too._ "

Then Mira and Booster came in.

"Oh, hi, guys," Rosela greeted, smiling and waving at the two.

"Oh, hey," Mira smiled back, though she was worried about Rosela. "Uh, we were just coming to see if you'd join us for lunch."

"Sure," Rosela accepted as she stood up. "I'm in the mood for something good."

Mira and Booster looked at each other in surprise. Rosela actually felt like eating today? Did that mean she was starting to feel better?

In the cafeteria, Rosela did eat a healthy portion to the silent joy of her friends that her appetite had returned. In fact, she was even smiling like she used to.

Mira wondered if maybe X.R had anything to do with it since he was with her before she and Booster showed up.

" _I don't know what X.R did, but I'm glad he did it,_ " Mira thought. " _Hopefully, it'll stay this way._ "

Then Buzz called for his team and Rosela to come see Commander Nebula and Ty for a very important talk. The four Rangers were curious about this urgent matter as they walked to the Commander's office.

Ty explained to the four about the idea he had come up with. "If Nos-4-A2 is that obsessed with her, then we make him think she's on an important mission somewhere, but we use a holographic image of her as bait to lure him to us."

"Well, that makes a lot of sense," Booster remarked, looking at Mira.

"Yeah, if he thinks Rosela is somewhere outside of Star Command, he won't resist coming," Mira agreed.

"Well, actually..." X.R spoke, looking doubtful.

"'Actually' what, X.R?" Rosela asked.

"Well, Ty, it would be a good idea, but you don't know Nos-4-A2 like I do. He can easily tell the difference between a hologram and the real thing. And the minute he knows it, he'll escape before we know it."

Rosela could understand X.R's point...but if Nos-4-A2 won't come for a holographic imitation of her, then perhaps the only way to lure him in is to...

With her mind made up, Rosela stood next to X.R, her left hand on his dome head. "Then if that's the case, I suggest instead of using a hologram, we use the real thing. I'll be the bait."

"What?!" everyone but Commander Nebula exclaimed.

"Rosela, what are you saying?" Ty asked, completely against this.

"Ty, everyone, please hear me out," Rosela spoke calmly. "Nos-4-A2 isn't just my problem. He's everyone's problem, especially the robots'." Rosela's nightmare of X.R and innocent robots dead flashed in her mind, making her grip her right hand. "He almost destroyed the universe the last time. So as long as he's functioning, no one is safe from him. That's why I want to do this, for everyone's sake."

Rosela looked at Ty and the rest of her friends. "And if Nos-4-A2 takes me, then I'll still have the tracker. You guys have saved me before and I can trust you to save me again. But I ask you to trust in me, too. Please, let me do what must be done."

Buzz knew Rosela was dead serious about this as he put his right hand on Rosela's back. "I say we trust Rosela. Like she said, Nos-4-A2 will always be a problem if we don't stop him as soon as possible."

Commander Nebula thought hard about this. "Are you sure you want to do this, Rosela?"

"Yes, sir, whatever it takes to protect the galaxy from him," Rosela nodded confidently.

"Then we'll let you do this."

"Thank you, sir."

"Wait, Rosela..." Ty began to protest.

"Ty," Rosela said with a smile. "It's all right. Please."

Ty did not want to do this. He was afraid she might go through another terrible seduction...but when he saw the determination in her eyes, he realized he couldn't change her mind no matter what he said.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "There's no talkin' you out of this, is there?" he asked with a grin.

Rosela smiled, shaking her head.

"Of course not." Ty knew as well as anyone... Actually, Ty knew better than anyone how relentless she was to protect the innocent from harm.

* * *

Far, far away in space was a black planet where Nos-4-A2's vessel sat on top of a gorge. He brought his ship to this planet because no one else knew about it. Ever since Rosela was taken from him, he had been busy making modifications with himself.

He installed something that he believed would keep Rosela close to him. Very close.

When he was finished, he came to the room he had built for Rosela, constantly looking at the emerald necklace he kept with him at all times.

He eyed the drawer that made him curious. He opened the top drawer and saw Rosela's purple flutter top that she had worn on Capital Planet. He held the purple clothing in his right hand for a moment before he held it against his chest.

He hadn't seen or touched Rosela for over a week...and he desired to have her in his embrace again...

"Star Command won't let her out because I'm still out here somewhere..." Nos-4-A2 reminded himself.

He had sent his own spies across the galaxy to see if Rosela was with any of the Rangers patrolling around, but there had been no sign of the red-haired girl.

Suddenly, his red monocle blinked to his surprise, meaning one of his spies had something important to report. The spy informed its Dark Master that Rosela was actually on patrol with her partner Ty Parsec.

Nos-4-A2's red optics gleamed with excitement. Rosela was actually outside of Star Command? He held the star-shaped emerald in his left hand, thinking about the red-haired woman he longed for.

He grinned happily as he kissed the gem that he gently gripped. "It's time for another _touching_ reunion."


	7. Bargaining Chip

**Chapter 7: Bargaining Chip**

Ty and Rosela rode in their cruiser to meet Team Lightyear at the spot where they would wait for Nos-4-A2 to appear.

On the way, Ty kept glancing at Rosela whose eyes focused on the task at hand. She was dead set on baiting the energy vampire so he'd no longer be a threat.

" _And once her mind's made up, there's no changing it..._ " Ty knew that, but he hated this. He didn't want Rosela to force herself to go through with this.

Ty looked at the stars in front of him, thinking angrily, " _Unbelievable. Just when I was about to reveal my feelings to her on Capital Planet,_ he _forces his feelings on her!_ "

But Ty knew being angry wasn't going to change things. The only way things would go back to normal was to end the energy vampire forever... And then, Ty would reveal his feelings for sure.

When the Rangers finally arrived at their destination, Rosela immediately stood up, looking more than ready. Before Rosela could reach the bridge's exit, Ty reached his right hand to touch her right shoulder to her surprise.

"Listen, be careful," he strongly advised.

Rosela grinned like she usually did which was something he always liked to see. "I'll be fine, Ty. Trust me."

"Hey, I do trust you," he grinned. " _It's_ him _I'm worried about._ "

"Besides, someone has to do it or this nightmare will never end," Rosela said solemnly.

Ty knew she was right. This had to end, one way or another.

" _And when it does end, Ty, then I'll tell you how much I love you,_ " Rosela vowed in her heart.

Rosela and Ty stepped out to meet Team Lightyear. Their destination was the place Ty had suggested which was a shock to his fellow Rangers: Canus Lunus, the very place where he turned into a wirewolf due to the energy vampire's bite and the green moon that once shined on this planet.

Ty only suggested it because he didn't know a better place to set up Nos-4-A2. Although, being back in the place where he had first turned into such a savage beast made him feel terribly uncomfortable.

Rosela sensed this as she held his left hand, giving him a warm smile. "It's all right, Ty. The wirewolf is dead, remember? Only Ty Parsec exists now."

Ty grinned back at her as he gripped her right hand.

Rosela looked up at the starry sky with a serious look. " _And soon, there's going to be another dead monster._ "

Ty knew what she was thinking before he held her in a hug to her astonishment. "I know nothing has happened...but if something does, I'll find you and I won't rest until I do."

Rosela's heart melted from his dedication... But being in his strong warm arms made her think of the cold arms of Nos-4-A2 who would never release her from his grip if he had his way.

Rosela pushed all fear aside as she hugged Ty back. " _There's no goin' back. I have to do this for everyone. Zurg's blasted self-thinking weapon has made the galaxy suffer long enough. It must end._ "

Buzz and the others were walking to Ty's cruiser where the four saw Ty and Rosela hugging. Buzz and the guys grinned at each other, then Buzz cleared his throat for Ty and Rosela to hear.

When the two Rangers saw their four friends, Ty and Rosela immediately let go of each other, both of them blushing from having their fellow Rangers seeing them embracing.

"Oh, you don't have to mind us," X.R teased.

Booster and Mira both grinned even though they hushed X.R before he made them feel more embarrassed.

After that awkward moment, the six Rangers stepped inside the abandoned facility where they would wait for Nos-4-A2. They didn't really know how to get his attention, but Buzz and Ty thought that if he wanted Rosela that badly, he would have a way to know if she was outside of Star Command.

So the plan was to come to Canus Lunus and wait for him to show.

Rosela stood in the middle of a large room while the others hid in the shadows, keeping a sharp lookout for the vampire.

Rosela couldn't help feeling frightened. She did trust her friends to find her in case she was kidnapped again...but she didn't want to be back in those cold seductive arms again.

" _I have to be strong. I have to be strong..._ " she told herself.

* * *

Nos-4-A2's vessel was close to Canus Lunus where his spy told him Rosela was. He left his ship a mile away from the planet so it wouldn't be seen before he exited his vessel to fly on his own to that world where he was sure he woud find her.

He had sent his spies ahead of him to see how many of her fellow Rangers were with her besides Ranger Parsec. His spies reported that she was also accompanied by Ranger Lightyear and his three teammates who were all in an abandoned facility.

Nos-4-A2 wondered what business they had there...but then he realized it. " _Of course, the only reason they'd let Rosela out is to use her as bait to lure me to their trap..._ " He grinned in amusement. " _Then I guess I have no choice but to go in. However, while I will take the beautiful bait, I will not be captured._ "

Nos-4-A2 flew to the abandoned building and looked through a window to see Rosela, the sight of her making him want to rush in and take her, but he wanted to do this carefully. He used his monocle to contact his spies whom he ordered to fool the Rangers.

The six Rangers all waited for countless minutes until they heard loud noises outside. They looked outside to see familiar yellow robots marching towards the facility.

"Zurg's Hornets?!" Booster asked with wide eyes.

"What are they doing here?" Mira asked, not believing Hornets were actually here of all places.

Buzz and Ty thought that Zurg sent the Hornets to destroy the Rangers on this air-less planet, so the two boys took Mira with them and left Booster, X.R and Rosela in the facility. They didn't want to risk bringing Rosela outside in case Nos-4-A2 showed up and would take advantage of the situation to abduct her.

As soon as Rangers Lightyear, Parsec and Nova left, Booster spotted a familiar henchman of Zurg's in the room, leaning against the door hinge as he grinned at the three.

"It's Warp!" Booster cried, X.R and Rosela shocked to see Star Command's most wanted.

"It's one problem after another," Rosela huffed.

"Oh, what next?" X.R groaned exasperatedly.

But the three Rangers had no choice but to chase after Darkmatter who started running away. They came across two doors, wondering which door he went through.

"Which door did he take?" Booster asked.

"Perhaps we should split up," Rosela suggested. "It'll make the search easier."

"Okay, but one of us should definitely stay with you."

Booster agreed to let X.R accompany Rosela, so Booster entered the left door and X.R and Rosela took the right door.

One of Nos-4-A2's spies was watching all of this, and Nos-4-A2 was seeing everything his spy was seeing. He grinned evilly when everything was going according to plan.

" _They're practically gift wrapping Rosela for me._ "

Rosela and X.R searched the large room cautiously, looking over the crates in case Darkmatter was hiding behind any of them.

X.R began to wonder to himself if Warp would stoop to hiding behind crates like a coward... " _I don't think he has any reason to hide from rookie Rangers like us... Something seems a little odd about all this..._ "

X.R was about to share his suspicions with Rosela, but before he could say a word, he felt something flipping the switch on him, making him shut down completely.

Rosela didn't see this because she was on the other side of the room checking the crates, but she did hear a window opening. She saw a shadow on the wall in front of her, a familiar shadow belonging to her least favorite stalker!

" _Nos-4-A2!_ " But Rosela noticed something different about his shadow when she saw he was holding something... No, someone. " _No, not X.R!_ "

Rosela immediately turned around to see the energy vampire with X.R in his claws. Nos-4-A2 wasted no time flying out of the window with his catch, Rosela's heart in despair to see her friend being taken away.

" _This was a trap all along!_ " Rosela had no choice but to chase after him.

She used her jet-pack and put on her oxygen helmet, then she flew straight out of the window. She tried to communicate with her fellow Rangers, but her communicator wouldn't work...

" _Just like on Capital Planet... Of course, Nos-4-A2's using something to damage our communicators just like before._ "

But Rosela couldn't go back to find her friends. She had to save X.R before Nos-4-A2 killed him. She kept flying after him as he flew to a canyon that he grinned at.

"Perfect." Nos-4-A2 said to himself as flew into the canyon's shadows, making Rosela go in there blindfolded, but she had no choice.

Rosela searched as hard as she could. She used the flashlight installed in her Ranger suit, checking carefully for any sign of Nos-4-A2 and poor X.R...

She then spotted a lonely shack which made her wonder if they were in there.

" _Only one way to find out..._ "

She stepped inside, getting her laser ready just in case.

However, Nos-4-A2 wasn't in that shack at all, but he knew she was in there looking for him.

Nos-4-A2 turned X.R back on, the little guy finding himself in a dark place. "Whoa, jeez, what...?" he began to ask until he realized he was held in Nos-4-A2's claws.

"We just keep running into each other, don't we, Little One?" he joked.

X.R yelped, shaking when he thought Nos-4-A2 was going to finish him off right here and now.

"Oh, stop that rattling. I'm not going to destroy you."

X.R's optics were wide in shock. "W-wait, you're not? Why? Not that I'm complaining."

"Well, I thought instead if feasting on you...you might help me."

"Oh, don't tell me. You're gonna mind-control me again," X.R guessed, dreading that thought of being his slave once more.

"No," Nos-4-A2 corrected, wagging his right finger. "That's not really necessary. What I'm actually going to do is turn you off again, and then use you to make a certain stubborn woman to give up and come with me."

X.R realized whom he meant. "No, no, you can't!"

"Oh, yes, I can," Nos-4-A2 claimed, tracing his finger on X.R's dome head again. "And if she cares that much about you which I know she does, I'll promise to give you back to the other Rangers. I think that sounds fair. I get Rosela and you get to live. Everyone wins."

"Everyone but Rosela," X.R agrued angrily. "She doesn't want to be with you!"

Nos-4-A2's bragging face turned into a frown as he roughly pinned X.R to the rocky ground. X.R looked to see such an angry insane expression on Nos-4-A2, the scariest look on the vampire yet.

"Don't push your luck, Little One," Nos-4-A2 warned. "I will have Rosela's love. You just wait and see."

Nos-4-A2 had enough talk as he turned X.R off again, looking at the shack with a lustful look on his face.

Rosela was on the top floor, standing at the door where she took a deep breath before opening the door and braced herself for the worst...but she saw no trace of the robots anywhere.

" _Are they not in this shack at all? Then I'd better get outta here and find X.R before he's done for..._ "

When Rosela came downstairs, she was shocked to see someone standing in front of the exit.

" _Nos-4-A2!_ " But...something wasn't right. His appearance seemed off. She could see right through him. " _He's using a hologram._ "

"Surprised, my dear?" Nos-4-A2 guessed with a grin, keeping his arms in his cape. "No, I'm not in the shack. I just sent one of my spies to help me communicate with you through holographic messaging."

Rosela was about to demand X.R's location, but she knew impolite words would have angered him, so she beseeched, "Please, where is X.R?"

"Seriously?" he asked, looking hurt as he tilted his head. "We haven't seen each other in days and you're not the least bit happy to see me? Not even a holographic image of myself?" Nos-4-A2 closed his optics as he smiled calmly. "But if you really want to know if Little One is all right, he is."

He slicked his cape behind him to reveal X.R in his arms. When the little guy wasn't moving, Rosela wondered fearfully what he had done to him.

"He's only a bit off," Nos-4-A2 answered her unspoken question. "On the count I threw the off switch on him, of course."

" _He only turned him off?_ " At first she was relieved that X.R was actually still alive...but that only made her confused. " _Why would he keep X.R alive, then? Unless he has a use for him, no doubt._ "

Nos-4-A2 held X.R upside-down, his left claw around his left leg. "Now as you should understand, the only reason I haven't made a meal out of him is because I decided," Nos-4-A2 began to explain as his right finger traced on X.R's dome head, "instead of making snack chips out of him, I'd use him as a bargaining chip. If you want me to spare Little One, then you have to agree to surrender yourself to me."

Rosela's eyes widened, her blood cold.

"If you come with me to my vessel without a fuss, then I shall return him to the Rangers alive... If you don't agree..." Nos-4-A2 smirked menacingly, tapping X.R's neck as he licked his lips. "Well, I think you know."

Rosela shivered. This was exactly what she was afraid would happen...but she still had her tracker. As long as she had it on, the Rangers could find her again...

" _So, I'll only be with him for a little while until help arrives,_ " Rosela thought.

"I'm waiting, Rosela," Nos-4-A2 sang, slowly reaching his mouth to X.R's power pack. "And I should tell you, I don't like to wait."

Terrified for X.R, Rosela quickly said, "All right!"

Nos-4-A2 grinned in calm triumph as he brought his face away from X.R's neck, looking at Rosela whose arms and hands shook as she looked at the floor.

"All right, I'll go with you...if you actually keep your word."

"You think I wouldn't?"

"Well, you have lied to me before," Rosela replied bluntly, looking up at him. "So, can you blame me for being cautious?"

Nos-4-A2 chuckled, looking at the unconscious X.R. "No, I guess I cannot, but I will prove to you I will keep my word. Now I do wish to have revenge on this infernal chatter box..." He smiled tenderly at Rosela, motioning his right hand to her. "But I love you more than revenge, so I'll make an exception and be a bot of my word."

Rosela had no choice but to take his word for it. If she resisted, he would definitely kill X.R.

"Now before we do anything, I want you to go to the top floor of that rundown shack and when you're up there, take off the suit," he instructed. Waving his finger, he added. "I'd prefer if you didn't have weapons."

"Pardon me, but without my suit, I can't breathe outside," she informed.

"Oh, fear not, my precious," he assured, pulling out a blue wrist band. "Once I come for you, you just have to wear this and you'll breathe just fine. Oh, and if you get any ideas of changing your mind and running away, I won't hold my end of the bargain," he warned with a dead-serious look, holding X.R higher.

"I won't run away," she insisted calmly, though she was having a bit of a hard time fighting back the tears.

"Good," Nos-4-A2 nodded, grinning in content as he reached his holographic hand to touch her cheek, making her twitch. "Now, please, get yourself ready," he requested softly.

Rosela nodded as his holographic image disappeared. Tears fell out of her eyes as she ran upstairs and quickly took off the Ranger suit. She kept the tracker deep in her pocket, then she stood in the room as she waited.

She wiped her face dry, telling herself she was doing this for X.R's sake.

" _I can't let him die. I just can't. I'm sorry, X.R, but I have to do this._ "

She knew X.R would feel guilty that this happened to her again, but she knew Ty would come with help. Ty's promise repeated itself in her mind, making her feel a bit better.

No sooner was she feeling all right when she felt her arms being pinned to her sides, an icy metal hand covering her mouth to keep her from screaming in shock from his touch. Rosela's skin crawled when she felt Nos-4-A2's lips on her left cheekbone.

All of Rosela's nightmares came rushing back as she felt him deeply kissing her cheekbone, then he pressed his lips on her temple which made her very dizzy and weak.

Nos-4-A2 could feel her weakening to his satisfaction as he kissed the left corner of her forehead, Rosela almost passing out as she felt limp to his notice.

He grinned as he slipped his right hand to cup her left cheek, leaning his right cheek on her head. "At last, we're together again."

Rosela panted softly as she felt herself on the brink of unconsciousness. When he unwrapped his left arm off her to stroke her hair, Rosela felt something warm and rubbery covering her mid-section, her arms trapped again.

Rosela felt wide awake when she looked down to see something dark covering her. " _What in the galaxy is this?!_ "

Nos-4-A2 stopped stroking her hair to see she was looking at the rubber restraints coming out of his chest and wrapping themselves around her.

"Don't panic, my love. This is something I installed myself with. It's to help keep you close to me at all times. However, if I want to, your arms can phase through the restraint. Watch."

He demonstrated when he touched her right shoulder, Rosela feeling her right arm phasing through the restraint.

"See?" he queried as he held her right hand that he kissed. Then he slipped the blue wrist band on her wrist and had her right arm trapped in the restraint again.

Rosela couldn't believe her eyes. " _If he's keeping me close to him like this...then how will the others take me from him?_ "

"But of course, we're forgetting about X.R. Why don't we go see him?" he suggested as he wrapped his arms around her, Rosela closing her eyes as he carried her out of the shack, X.R lying right outside.

Rosela felt terrible that he had been used like this, but at least he wouldn't be killed today. Nos-4-A2 snapped his left fingers as a small delivery rocket arrived.

"Pull him inside," Nos-4-A2 ordered the rocket that obeyed his command as two wires placed X.R in.

Nos-4-A2 ordered the rocket to take X.R straight to the other Rangers.

Rosela watched as the delivery rocket carried her little friend away. " _Forgive me, everyone, but I had to save X.R. There was no other way._ "

"There, see? I kept my word," Nos-4-A2 smiled, his left hand to the sky where X.R was being carried. He slid his left hand to cup her right cheek, making her close her eyes. "Are thou not pleased, dearest?"

"Yes, thank you," Rosela said quietly.

Nos-4-A2's left hand stroked her right cheek as he held her closer. "Now, it's time for us to take our leave."

Though he kept her in his rubber restraint, he slithered his right hand behind her shoulders and his left hand under her knees. She closed her eyes shut as he flew high, high, high up into space where his vessel awaited its Dark Master.

Nos-4-A2 entered into the helm, still holding Rosela bridal style as he gave orders to the ship, using his monocle to communicate with the ship without Rosela hearing what he told the vessel.

She avoided his gaze at all times, then she started to feel her feet touching the ground as he stood behind her.

"I still want to keep our destination a surprise," he explained, his arms around her shoulders. "But I have more surprises than that. Much, much more."

" _Oh, goody..._ " Rosela thought bitterly. " _But it doesn't matter. My friends will save me before his ship reaches this mysterious hideout of his._ "

"Until then...I intend to enjoy you," he said softly.

" _Oh, no,_ " Rosela thought in horror, knowing he was going to be all over her.

He rested his right cheek against the back of her head, loving her soft hair.

" _Please, let there only be hugging this time. Please,_ " Rosela implored.

He held her hair in his left hand, kissing her long ruby locks. "When you were taken from me, I almost had a terrible breakdown."

" _If only!_ " Rosela yelled in her mind.

"But I didn't give up," he went on, as he kept kissing her hair in his hand. "As I've said to you on Capital Planet, I'll stop at nothing to keep you by my side."

He let go of her hair, his left hand under her chin, moving her head to the left, but she kept her eyes closed.

"And I will keep that promise," he whispered. "Oh!" he announced, nearly making her heart jump. "I just remembered something."

Rosela didn't like the sound of this at all. " _Oh, goodness, whatever it is, please forget it._ "

His rubber restraint slid off her and back into his chest to her surprise, but she didn't know whether this was good or bad.

" _Actually, anything he thinks about is bad with a capital B._ " To her complete confusion, he had her pinned to the floor. " _What the heck is he doing?!_ "

He smiled at her, his left hand behind her head that he tilted backwards to expose her neck that he traced his right finger on.

"Right before those...wretched Rangers took you away," he hissed, then he calmed himself, "we were left off right here, remember?"

Rosela did remember. He'd wanted to do _it_ to her neck, but he never had the chance when the Rangers rescued her.

" _No, no! Please, don't let him have a chance this time, either!_ "

He kept his left hand behind her head, his right hand on her left cheek as he leaned down.

Rosela hoped with all her might that Ty and the guys would get here in the nick of time again, but to her dismay, she felt his icy lips touching her neck. Her eyes widened in shock and fear, but his optics were closed as he brushed his metal lips up and down her smooth slender neck.

Rosela almost couldn't breathe. Not because his lips on her neck were making her choke, but because the disgust and sorrow of a villain necking her was almost too hard to bear.

It kept getting worse when he kissed both sides of her neck, Rosela almost ready to faint. She actually wanted to be unconscious until her friends saved her, but his cold lips made it too hard for her to pass out. Not to mention, his cold right hand was caressing her left cheek as he kept doing this.

She couldn't meet the unconsciousness she begged for, but she was weakening. It was like, even though he feeds off of energy from machines, his necking was taking all of her energy.

The trauma wouldn't stop there as she felt his rubber restraint around her again. He lifted her off the floor, having her head resting on his left shoulder. He reached for both sides of his cape and wrapped them around her.

"So, you've finally given yourself to me," he thought since she didn't put up too much of a fight.

Rosela didn't respond as she had her eyes closed the whole time. She was pretending she was asleep so he would at least let her go and let her lie down, but he knew she was still awake. Although, he was confused by her silence.

"Well?" he queried, his right hand cupping her left cheek. "Have you?"

Rosela had no choice but to answer him, shaking her head.

He took his hand off her face, stunned to know she was still refusing him. "What? Wait, on Canus Lunus, you said you would come with me."

"Yes, I said I would come with you," Rosela spoke clearly, moving her head away. "But I didn't say I would give you my love."

He couldn't believe this. She still didn't love him? Instead of getting angry, he closed his optics, a calm grin on his face.

"So, you only did what you had to just to protect X.R," he realized. He chuckled quietly, then he held Rosela closer. "It seems to me your friendship with your fellow Rangers is your weakness which is what I appreciate."

He rested his left cheek on her forehead, Rosela feeling his left hand rubbing her left shoulder which almost made her shudder.

"Rosela, my lovely gem of the cosmos, though I am evil, only a male who loves you with all of his being should have you."

He moved his head to kiss the crown of her forehead before he whispered, "And there is no other male in this universe who can love you more than I do. Don't you want a male to love you so passionately?"

" _I do. It's what I've always wanted, but I want a good man to love me with all of his heart and soul. A man who not only treats me well, but treats everyone else well, too. And that man I wish to love is Ty Parsec._ "

But she could never let Nos-4-A2 know that. If he ever found out her heart belonged to Ty, he'd murder Ty without a second thought.

Nos-4-A2's left hand slipped out of his cape as he reached for her hair that he gently pulled to make her head lean backwards.

"You are meant to be mine, Rosela," he declared with a calm expression. "You will see I am right and you will see very soon."

He leaned his head down to kiss her neck again, making her feel dizzy once more.

He wanted to make her love him by showing her just how passionte his feelings for her were. He moved up her neck to kiss under her chin, and this time Rosela was on the brink of fainting.

Nos-4-A2 slightly opened his optics and glanced at her lips which gave him an awful idea. He grinned confidently when he thought for sure this would make her give him her love. He slowly reached for her lips, thinking her affections were finally his...

Then to his shock, his monocle blinked, meaning his spies had something to report. They immediately told their Dark Master that the Rangers were on their way. Nos-4-A2 looked at Rosela who laid silent and still.

" _No, not now. It's too soon. Her love was almost mine_ ," he hissed to himself. He closed his optics as he told himself, " _...I have no choice._ "

He released his rubber restraint from her, holding Rosela bridal style, cradling her with care as he carried her to the room he once had her in before. He gently placed her on the bed, covering her with the black blanket.

He looked at Rosela whom he did not want to leave. With a firm look, he closed his optics as he leaned down, his right hand on her head as he kissed the crown of her forehead again.

"I'll come fetch you later, my love." Grinning, he whispered in her right ear, "Think fondly of me."

With that, Rosela was all alone, lying still and unconscious in the room, tears falling out of her eyes as her heart cried out for Ty.


	8. Two Hearts Are One

**Chapter 8: Two Hearts Are One**

On Canus Lunus, Ty and Buzz and Mira were charging at the Hornets, using their jet-packs to fly. However, when the three Rangers used their lasers...the Hornets didn't break into pieces.

"Huh? What the...?" Ty looked at his wrist laser, wondering what was wrong.

Buzz believed he knew the answer to this confusioin as he flew straight at the Hornets.

"Buzz!" Mira called, worried about her captain, but Buzz kept going as he reached out at a Hornet in the middle of the group.

When he did, his hands went right through the Hornet!

"Aha! I knew it!" Buzz affirmed. He looked up at his two confused fellow Rangers. "These Hornets are nothin' but holograms!"

"Holograms?" Mira repeated. "But why would Zurg send holograms?"

Buzz flew back up to his friends as he thought of something. "I don't think this was Zurg's doing at all, Mira," he corrected. "In fact..."

Ty and Mira's eyes widened in horror when they realized what Buzz was getting at.

"Nos-4-A2!" all three Rangers cried.

"And we left Rosela and the guys alone!" Mira added, terrified for other three Rangers.

"Come on!" Buzz called as he led the way back to the abandoned facility, using his communicator to try to contact with the three. "Booster, X.R, Rosela, come in! Guys! Do you read me?"

This was going from bad to worse. When Rangers don't answer their communicators, you know something is terribly wrong.

Buzz, Ty and Mira went in to look for their three friends. Mira phased through the walls in a desperate search until she finally spotted Booster alone.

"Booster!"

"Aah!" Booster jumped in fright before he saw the Tangian. "Mira? Oh, you gotta be careful," Booster warned as he looked around carefully. "Warp's here."

"Warp?"

"Yeah, we saw him, but he ran away so we had to look for him."

"Wait, what about X.R and Rosela?"

"X.R stayed with Rosela."

"Oh, no! Booster, Warp can't be here. What you guys saw was a hologram of him. Because those Hornets outside were nothing but holograms, too, and we think Nos-4-A2 is respnosible."

Booster gasped ."And X.R and Rosela are alone!"

There was a loud crash outside, all four Rangers stepping outside to see a small delivery rocket.

"Where'd this come from?" Mira asked, completely bewildered.

Buzz and Ty looked at each other and nodded as they both realized it must have been from Nos-4-A2.

The rocket's door opened and out rolled X.R who didn't move.

"X.R!" Booster rushed up and picked up his robot friend. "Oh, no! Nos-4-A2 must have..." Booster said, tears starting to form.

Buzz thought differently when he took a closer look at X.R "No, Booster. There are no bite marks on him, so Nos-4-A2 couldn't have hurt him."

"Then why isn't X.R...?" Mira began to ask, then he spotted a piece of paper in the little rocket. She picked it up and read it aloud, "'Flip his switch'."

Buzz gently took X.R from Booster as Buzz turned on X.R who came to life again. X.R looked around to see all his friends except one...

"Rosie! Oh, no, she couldn't have!" X.R denied, his hands on his helmet.

"What? Where is she?" Mira insisted.

"Nos-4-A2. He kidnapped me and used me to make Rosela go with him without a fight."

The four taller Rangers looked at each other with wide eyes. Their red-haired friend was once again with that psychotic energy vampire?!

"Hey, don't panic. Rosela still has her tracker. We can easily find her," Buzz reassured.

Ty went with Team Lightyear in their cruiser 42, the Rangers heading straight for the stars to rescue Rosela again. Ty was feeling terrible that this had happened. When they had first saved Rosela, he promised that the vampire wouldn't have her again...

Ty then reminded himself that he had also promised Rosela that no matter what happens, he would find Rosela again and that was a promise he was going to keep.

Booster was pinpointing Rosela's location. "Rosela's very close, Buzz," Booster reported. "Only 50 ft in front of us."

Buzz and Ty were familiar with the plan: They would lure out Nos-4-A2 and keep him busy until Mira frees Rosela. Once the female Rangers were out of his vessel, Rangers Lightyear and Parsec would capture the energy vampire.

The good Rangers thought that just because they couldn't stop him on Canus Lunus, it doesn't mean they couldn't stop him here.

Buzz and Ty flew to the vessel as Mira used the LGMs' cloaking device to turn herself invisible so she could sneak into the vessel undetected.

The boys caused a ruckus in hopes to get the villain's attention, which it did when he started coming outside of his ship to investigate.

Buzz and Ty nodded as they flew right at the vampire who was shocked to be tackled by the two Rangers.

Mira ghosted herself through the ship where she found Rosela on a bed under a blanket. Mira nudged Rosela to try to wake her.

"Rosela," she whispered. "Rosela, it's me."

Mira shook Rosela a bit, but the human redhead wouldn't open her eyes. The Tangian knew her friend was unconscious, so she quickly slipped the oxygen backpack on Rosela, then Mira held onto her and ghosted themselves out of the ship straight back to 42.

As soon as Ty and Buzz learned Mira and Rosela were both safe with Booster and X.R, the two Rangers attempted to show no mercy to the robot villain who floated in front of the guys.

"This is it, Nos-4-A2," Buzz proclaimed.

"You've terrorized Rosela and the galaxy long enough," Ty said firmly.

"Terrorize Rosela?" Nos-4-A2 echoed before he grinned. "Though I admit terrorizing the galaxy is what I was created for, my purpose isn't to terrorize Rosela. In fact, my new purpose is to give Rosela everything she needs."

"Like taking her against her will?" Ty hissed, glaring at the menacing bot.

"Rosela may fear me now...but I promise you, Rangers, she will find that she and I were made for each other," he vowed with the surest grin ever.

Now Ty was ready to rain fire on this truly awful energy-craving monster. He and Buzz shot Nos-4-A2 many times, but he dodged their fire as he managed to come back inside his vessel.

"Oh, no, you don't," Ty denied as he used his laser to create a man-sized hole in the ship. "Come on!" he called to Buzz as they both entered the enemy's ship where they found him at the helm.

"You're trapped, Nos-4-A2!" Buzz called.

"It's over!" Ty added as he and Buzz were ready to finish this.

They both shot at the vampire who screamed in pain and fell down on the helm's floor, not moving an inch.

But before the Rangers did anything else, they heard a beeping sound. It came from the controls that Buzz inspected to see a timer that said two minutes and counting which meant only one thing.

Buzz grabbed Ty's left wrist as he led the way out. "Ty, this ship's gonna blow in two minutes! We gotta get outta here now!"

Ty and Buzz left the villain behind on his ship as they flew straight back to 42 where Booster, Mira and X.R were relieved to see the guys back alive, but Buzz ordered everyone to help him get 42 away from the blast zone.

When the Rangers were farther enough away, they heard an explosion many miles behind them.

Buzz and Ty looked at each other, thinking that Nos-4-A2 must be in a million pieces by now. The two boys took Mira with them to see if he was done for...but when they arrived at the spot where the his ship should've been destroyed, they found no piece of his vessel or his body.

"Did...the explosion incinerate the entire vessel along with Nos-4-A2?" Mira asked.

"It...appears that way," Buzz replied, though he was rather baffled that the explosion left no remains at all.

"So...then, it's over? No more energy vampire to kidnap Rosela or hurt innocent robots and people?" Mira asked hopefully.

" _It's over,_ " Ty thought, amazing by what had happened...and very, very grateful. He grinned when he thought one of the universe's worst enemies was finally gone forever. " _It's really over. Rosela and everyone else are finally safe from him for good._ "

As soon as Rangers Lightyear, Nova and Parsec were back aboard 42, Ty went straight to the infirmary where Mira told him Rosela was. Rosela was in her Ranger pajamas, unconscious on the bed. He discovered dried tears on her cheeks which told him that she had yet another terrifying time with the energy vampire...

"Oh, Rosela...I'm sorry he had his hands on you again," he whispered as he stroked her hair, "but I guarantee he won't ever be a problem."

Yes, he was certain things were finally going to go back to normal. Rosela could go out freely and be back to her old smiling self. And even better, Ty could be with Rosela in peace.

" _As soon as she wakes up...I'm going to tell her how much she means to me._ "

* * *

Once everyone was back on Star Command, Ty held Rosela bridal style as he carried her to the infirmary where the LGMs reported that she wasn't hurt at all. They did find something interesting on her right wrist: A blue wrist band. The green guys took it off her because they knew this wrist band belonged to a lab where that oxygen wrist band was stolen from.

Ty sat by Rosela's bedside, wanting to make sure she would know she was safe with friends again. He was looking forward to seeing the joy on her face when she'd find out Nos-4-A2 was gone for good.

Of course, he was eager to tell her his feelings. He wished he could've done that on Capital Planet where they were having their vacation, but right now he didn't care where he would tell her.

" _I don't want to wait any longer to tell her. I want to say it before anything else happens._ "

* * *

Rosela had been unconsciousness for a while now, but she finally started to stir. At first she was afraid to wake up and find herself still on Nos-4-A2's vessel, but she dared to slowly open her eyes to discover herself in a room with bright lights.

" _Now I know this isn't his vessel._ "

She opened her eyes all the way to see she was in the Star Command infirmary.

" _Then that means, Ty and the others found me_ ," she realized joyfully.

She sat up, then to her surprise, she saw her partner sitting in a chair beside her.

"Ty."

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, his left hand on her right shoulder.

She wrapped her arms around him to his astonishment.

"I am now," she replied, a relieved smile on her face as she kept Ty close to her. She spoke in a hushed voice, "You kept your promise."

Ty grinned as he embraced Rosela. "Of course. I'd travel to infinity and beyond for you."

"Hmm," she said in amusement. "That's Buzz's line," she lectured jokingly.

"Well, I meant what I said," Ty grinned.

"I know you do." She opened her eyes as she looked at Ty. "Say...what happened to _him_?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Blown to smithereens," Ty announced with the happiest grin on his face. "You see, when Nos-4-A2 sent X.R in a little rocket, we immediately went after you. When we found his ship in space, Buzz and I lured him outside while Mira went in to get you out of there. Then when we trapped Nos-4-A2 in his ship's helm, a timer went off which meant we must have accidentally turned a bomb on, but we all got away."

"However," Ty continued, his arms folded, his grin never faltering, "Nos-4-A2 wasn't so lucky."

Rosela was taken aback when she realized what Ty meant. "So...he really is destroyed?"

"Mm-hmm," Ty nodded confidently.

Rosela couldn't believe her ears. He was gone? He was finally out of everyone's lives for good?

" _It's over. It's all over.._."

No longer would robots be feasted on nor would her fellow Rangers be threatened.

She covered her mouth as tears started to fall to Ty's surprise. She covered her wet eyes, making Ty put his left hand on her back.

"I'm all right," she reassured as she took her hands off her face. "I...just can't believe that it's finally over," she said with a smile on her face as tears of joy flowed out of her eyes.

Ty grinned softly as he gently rubbed her back. " _It's been a long time since I've seen her look so peaceful._ "

Rosela stood up and slipped herself in her Ranger suit that the LGMs had left for her in the infirmary, then she and Ty went to let the others know she was awake to their relief.

Star Command cheered that the energy vampire was vanquished at long last, but Ty wanted to do something before he celebrated yet.

As he and Rosela walked down the hall, he was about to say something, but she suddenly held his left wrist.

"Ty...could you come with me for a moment? It's very important and it can't wait," she insisted. "Please."

Ty wondered why Rosela was sounding so urgent, but he didn't object as he let her take him to a storage room where the two Rangers wouldn't be disturbed.

"Uh, is there somethin' wrong with the storage room?" Ty queried, quite confused about this.

"No, there are no problems with anything," Rosela corrected. "I brought us here so we'd be alone."

Ty was surprised that she wanted to be all alone with him...and very curious.

Before he could ask, she put his hands on his shoulders as she said, "Ty, this is something I've felt about you for a long time."

Rosela started to feel timid for a second, but she pushed all shyness away as she clearly spoke with her eyes closed.

"I love you."

Ty could not believe his ears. " _Sh-she loves me?_ "

"I've always thought you were such a good guy... I used to feel too shy to tell you my feelings, but after all the craziness that's happened, I didn't want to hold back."

Rosela's hands on his shoulders shook as she slowly removed her hands off him. "Ty...I know you never talked about romance, but I wanted to tell you my feelings. If you don't want this and you just want us to be friends, I understand. I-"

To her astonishment, she felt him wrap his arms around her, keeping her in his embrace.

"No," he said softly, never letting her go. "No, I don't want us to be just friends..." He kept her close as his left hand stroked her hair. "'Cause I love you, too."

Rosela's face felt warm, her heart nearly stopping, but she kept herself steady as she made sure that this was all real. She paid attention to Ty as he kept talking.

"I've always thought there was something special about you when I met you. That's why I wanted to be partners with you so I could get to know you more. And my time with you has been the best time in my life."

Rosela took quiet breaths as she felt herself getting hotter from listening to him...then she wrapped her arms around his back as Ty gently held her tighter.

They held each other for several moments, then Ty's left hand gently tilted her chin up. He was surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks.

Rosela smiled at him to assure him, "I'm fine." She closed her eyes that released more tears. "I'm just happy."

Ty grinned, then he gently brought her face closer to his. Rosela knew what he wanted, so she didn't resist at all as she let his lips touch hers.

As Ty deepened the kiss, his left hand slithered behind her head which Rosela didn't reject to as they kissed for a long time.

Rosela's heart sang with utmost joy. Once she used to be haunted by Nos-4-A2's affections which made her feel like she was being vandelized by a demon. But now, she was feeling purified by Ty's warm and respectful touch.

" _I lose my evil admirer...and now I'm together with the man who has been more than my partner. He's been a best friend of mine and my knight. Ty, I hope you and I will have nothing but the best together._ "

Ty gently broke the kiss, Rosela in a blissful daze as her face turned beet red that made Ty grin. He kept holding onto Rosela who let Ty do as he wished as he kissed from her left cheek to the left side of her neck.

As he kept doing this, Rosela took the glove off her right hand that found itself behind his head so she could feel his soft brown hair. Ty felt Rosela's bare hand in his hair, so he took the glove off his left hand so he could finger her long red hair.

Rosela leaned her head on Ty's left shoulder as he embraced her, and in his arms was where Rosela wanted to stay.

" _If I could, I'd stay in his arms forever._ "

* * *

On a dark undiscovered planet, deep in a gorge were two red eyes that moved in the shadows. His silver arms were revealed, a star-shaped jewel in his right hand.

"It's all going exactly as I've planned. Just a little longer, my dearest love, and we'll be one. Until then, I do hope you will think fondly of me."


	9. Petals & Smoke in the Wind

**Chapter 9: Petals & Smoke in the Wind**

After Ty and Rosela confessed their feelings, they went to find their celebrating friends. As they walked through the halls holding hands, X.R happened to show up on his own.

"Hey, guys," he greeted, waving at the two. "Everyone was wondering where you went, so..." X.R stopped talking when he saw Ty and Rosela holding hands.

X.R's face lit up with excitement when he realized it. "Yes!" he cheered, his fists in the air. "Yes, it finally happened!"

"Finally?" Rosela echoed.

X.R stood behind Ty and Rosela whom he pushed forward.

"Come on, we gotta tell the guys!" he said giddily. "They must know about this!"

X.R led them to the cafeteria where the celebration was taking place.

Buzz, Mira and Booster saw Ty and Rosela who were being brought in by X.R.

"There you are. Everyone was missing you," Buzz said.

"Buzz, you'll never believe this," X.R began to say, but Rosela calmly interrupted him.

"Please, X.R, let us tell them ourselves," she requested with a grin.

"Tell us what?" Mira asked curiously.

"Well...Ty and I are a thing now," Rosela answered simply.

Buzz, Booster and Mira were all mouth-agape, then they all smiled ecstactically.

"Oh! Yay!" Booster cried joyfully.

"Well, it's about time," Buzz smiled, his hands on his hips.

"When did you all know about this?" Rosela queried.

"Since forever," Mira grinned.

"Yeah, everyone on Star Command knew about it," X.R added.

Ty and Rosela were bewildered that all of their fellow Rangers knew of their feelings for each other, though the two did think it was kind of funny.

* * *

Rosela was in her and Mira's room that night after the celebration. Rosela sat on her bed, hugging her pillow when she remembered how the rest of her fellow Rangers reacted when they also found out she and Ty were a couple.

" _They seemed to have been cheering for us for a long time... It is flattering._ "

Mira stepped inside and sat on the bed on the other side of the room. She saw Rosela having a dazed look on her face which made the Tangian grin.

"What are you thinking about over there? Or should I say, who are you thinking about?" Mira teased.

Rosela grinned bashfully, holding her pillow closer. "To be honest, it still feels like a dream, but it's really a dream come true." She smiled as she leaned against her mattress. "I feel like a teenager thinking about it."

Mira smiled, most grateful to see how happy Rosela was looking. To think, Rosela used to be so terribly depressed because of Nos-4-A2 being after her. Now that the energy vampire was destroyed, Rosela could have her life back and have a peaceful relationship with Ty.

* * *

Three weeks went by as Ty and Rosela continued with their relationship to the joy of their fellow Rangers who would grin whenever they saw the new couple.

Ty and Rosela finally had two days off from work as well as Team Lightyear, so they all decided to go somewhere together.

Buzz made the suggestion to go to Rhyzome to spend time at a spa he went to once. The others all agreed a nice time on a peaceful planet like Rhyzome would be the nicest place to relax.

When they made it to the vegetarian planet, the sight of it took Rosela's breath away, for she had read about Rhyzome and had always dreamed of visiting it.

Seeing Rosela's face light up with joy made her look like an excited child which Ty thought was rather cute in his opinion. He decided to take Rosela sightseeing, Rosela ever so fascinated with this beautiful planet.

When it was nearly sunset, Ty and Rosela met up with the others to dance some nice songs. Ty and Rosela danced for the first time and it was one of the most fun times they ever had.

Ty and Rosela went off somewhere alone to watch some Rhyzomian flowers that Rosela read about in a book. These white flowers would bloom in the moonlight, the petals glowing like the moon itself.

Rosela's eyes lit up from seeing such a lovely sight. Ty could see the gleam in her eyes which made him grin as he wrapped his left arm around her left shoulder. Rosela smiled as her face reddened before she leaned herself against his left shoulder.

The wind blew the luminous white petals that circled around Ty and Rosela. When the couple started walking away, Rosela almost tripped but Ty caught her quickly, his hands wrapped around her waist.

Rosela was leaning against Ty's arms that held onto her as they looked at each other in surprise. A petal flew onto Ty's head which made Rosela reach her right hand to gently brush the petal off of his hair.

Ty grinned as he kept his left arm around her waist as he reached his right hand to hold her right hand that he kissed which made Rosela smile and blush as she looked away.

Ty always thought her modesty was adorable. Although, Rosela decided to be bold for a change as she wrapped her hands behind his neck before she leaned up to kiss him.

Ty didn't object as he brought her up to have her stand on her feet, gladly returning the kiss that lasted for several seconds as the glowing petals kept dancing in the breeze.

* * *

Shortly, the six happy yet exhausted Rangers finally called it a night. Each of them slept in rooms of their own.

Rosela slept soundly on her left side as the Rhyzomian moon glowed through her balcony door from across the left side of her bed.

What she didn't know was, a sleeping gas spread around the room which put Rosela into a deeper sleep, making her unconscious. Then the glass balcony door was quietly opened by an unknown intruder whose shadow loomed over Rosela who didn't stir at all as a left metal hand gently stroked her right cheek.

The intruder saw something shiny on her right wrist that he held to see it was the little rocket-shaped tracker that the LGMs turned into bracelets.

"So, this is the tracker that keeps helping them find you," he remarked sullenly. He slipped the bracelet off before he crushed it in his right hand. He smirked evilly as he let the pieces fall from his palm. "Not anymore."

Then he pulled the comforter off her as he laid his dark cape on her before his left metal hand slipped under her knees as his right metal hand slipped behind her shoulders, then silver arms that glowed in the moonlight picked her up bridal style.

* * *

The rest of the guests of the Rhyzomian hotel slept comfortably in their rooms, then all of a sudden they heard a fire alarm which made them feel wide awake, shocked to know that there was a fire emergency.

Everyone including the Rangers all managed to get out safely as the hotel burned to the ground, but the Rangers knew they were one Ranger short: Rosela was nowhere around.

The five Rangers searched and called out for Rosela whom they assumed was safely out of the hotel, too, but they couldn't find her anywhere, not even by her tracker's signal.

The Rhyzomians offered to search for Rosela, but she was nowhere to be found.

Ty had a horrible thought when he about that burned down hotel.

" _No... No..._ "

* * *

Rosela was cradled in the silver arms that held onto her as her abductor was high in the sky, using his red monocle to view the five Rangers who went on a wild goose chase for Rosela until her partner Ty Parsec ran back to the ruined hotel which made the the abductor grin cruelly when he saw Ty kneel and wallow in sorrow.

Rosela stirred a little when she caught a burning scent in the air.

"Smoke..." she whispered. "Fire..."

Her captor's grin softened as he leaned down to her right ear. "Shh. Don't be frightened," he whispered in comfort. "You're safe."

Rosela couldn't recognize the voice because she was still feeling dizzy, and when he rubbed her right shoulder, she was lulled back to sleep and leaned her head against his right shoulder to his gratitude.

"What a lovely night this was," the abductor said in deep satisfaction. "I've had my revenge on my competitor and..." He looked at Rosela, leaning down to kiss the crown of her forehead. "...I've retrieved the one I love."

He used rubber restraints that came out of his chest and wrapped themselves around Rosela to help him hold onto her as his left hand pressed a little metal rod that teleported himself and Rosela far, far away from Rhyzome, leaving the five grief-stricken Rangers to believe Rosela was gone for good...


	10. Fondling

**Chapter 10: Fondling**

On a dark planet, there was a dark metal metropolis, the population being 300 robots who all served the ruler of this ominous city.

The ruler himself was then teleported to the mountain-sized red palace. He was at a room in the second highest floor. In his silver arms was the girl he had spirited away from Rhyzome.

She was still unconscious with his cape still covering her. He couldn't stop grinning at her as he gently held her closer to him. He leaned his right cheek on her forehead as he rubbed her right shoulder.

"Rosela, my beloved, your absence was more than I could endure, but no longer." He leaned close to her right ear to whisper, "This time, you are mine forever."

He flew through the halls until he brought her to a large red room with a red bed that he gently laid her on before he took his cape back, then he noticed the pink nightgown she was wearing.

"You do look adorable," he commented, stroking the back of his right fingers on her left cheek, "But frankly, I think that color is much too loud for this dominion."

He snapped his left fingers to summon two of his servants to dress Rosela into something different before he stood outside the bedroom door to admire the star-shaped emerald necklace in his right hand. He had been constantly looking at this jewel, always feeling quietly impatient to reclaim Rosela after so long.

When his servants announced that they had finished changing Rosela, he came back in to see her wearing a long silk dress. The top half of the dress along with the sleeves were red and the bottom half of the gown was black.

He grinned, most delighted at the sight of her. "You do look good in anything you wear."

He sent his servants away so he could be alone with her. He put the emerald necklace on her, letting the star-shaped gem rest on her chest.

"There, now you have back what belongs to you." He slowly stroked his right finger on her left temple. "And I have back what belongs to me."

He slipped his right arm behind her back to lift her head off the pillow as he stroked his left hand on her right cheek. Then he combed his left claws through her long red hair.

"You will soon have everything that no other organic will ever have," he spoke, wrapping a strand of her hair around his left claw. "First you will have equal power over this empire I have built for us. Of course...that is just the beginning," he grinned, kissing the hair around his claw.

"Once you and I are one," he continued, rubbing her strand of hair between his thumb and index finger, "we will concoct on how to dominate the universe. After all, as well as having each other, we deserve to have everything in our control besides the robots of our metropolis."

"However," he went on, "before we begin on our reign, we must have the ceremony which will be held tonight. Although, I'm afraid preparations for the ceremony are still taking time and diligent work, but it'll be worth it."

He released her hair to trace his left finger down her right cheek to her neck which made him think more about the ceremony.

"Once the ceremony commences, you shall be complete."

He recalled how he had used his slaves to spy on Rosela during the past three weeks. He could only catch small glimpses of her on her Ranger assignments when she would travel outside of Star Command.

When his spies spotted her on Rhyzome, he was most pleased to see her dance so beautifully, though...he did remember the man she was dancing with.

 **Flashback to Rhyzome**

 _He sat on his throne in his far away hideout as his servants on Rhyzome helped him view Rosela on a wide plasma screen in front of him. He smiled, enchanted by her graceful moves which made him remember how he had danced with her on his vessel once._

 _"Soon, my beautiful rose, you and I will dance among the stars," he murmured as he rubbed his right hand on the screen that Rosela was on._

 _He kept watching Rosela dancing with her friends until she started dancing for a long time with her partner Ty Parsec. The way the two were dancing, it made him kind of...uneasy._

 _He started to question what sort of thing they had with each other. He wanted to assume they were just best friends and nothing more. Then his spies secretly followed Ranger Parsec and Rosela to a place with white petals flowing in the breeze..._

 _Then to his utter shock, he saw them...kissing!_

 _He stood up from his throne, not believing what he was seeing. The way they were kissing each other so passionately...showed him just how much Rosela was in love with her partner._

 _"So...that is the real reason why she's refused me," he muttered, his grip tight on the emerald he held in his left hand._

 _His face twisted in pain as he roared loud enough for half of the robotic metropolis to hear him._

 _"Um...Dark Master?" one of his servants started to say._

 _"Leave me!" he demanded, scaring his servants away as he broke his throne into many pieces._

 _When he stopped, he slowly dropped to the floor. And, without paying attention, tears came out of his right eye._

 _At first he thought he went through all of this for nothing and that he would never have Rosela's love now. He was full of fury when he blamed the man Parsec for taking Rosela's love from him. Then...an idea hit him when he looked at the emerald._

 _"Wait...though he may be the first male she's loved...that doesn't mean he'll be the only one she'll love."_

 _Grinning evilly, he got off the floor, gently gripping the jewel. "All I really have to do is take her from him...and when I give her everything she needs...I will be the only male in her mind... And Ty Parsec will be nothing more than a memory."_

 _After collecting himself, he looked back at the screen to see Rosela and Ranger Parsec still kissing to his anger. He closed his optics to calm himself._

 _Looking back at the screen, he said in a low voice, "Enjoy her now, Parsec, because by midnight tonight, she'll belong in my embrace."_

 **End of flashback**

When he thought about Ranger Parsec, he wished he could've been able to hear the Ranger's heartbroken cries.

"He deserves just as much for trying to take away what's mine and mine alone," he professed.

Looking at Rosela's slumbering face, he pulled her close to him, resting his left cheek on her head, his right hand stroking her hair.

"Parsec isn't worthy of you," he whispered, holding her hair in his right hand. "Only I can take proper care of you. You will see soon."

Suddenly, his monocle blinked. He growled when he thought this might have meant the Space Rangers.

"If it is the Rangers, so help me..." he said threateningly before he answered the call, "What is it?" he demand impatiently.

"Oh, sorry, Dark Master, but we need your assistance with the machine," said one of his servants.

"Oh, is that all?" the Dark Master queried as he calmed down. He glanced at the slumbering Rosela, unwilling to leave her after just retrieving her.

" _But I want the ceremony to be absolutely perfect._ "

He silently groaned before he responded to his servant. "I'm on my way."

He looked at Rosela with a sad face, hating to be away from her. He pulled a red blanket to cover her, cupping her left cheek.

"My apologies, but I must tend to the ceremonial preparations. But I shall return."

After kissing her forehead, he left the room to head for the highest floor upstairs to see how the plans for the ceremony were going. On his way, he grinned to himself.

" _How silly it was of me to think that the Rangers might have been here. First of all, this world is very, very far away from Rhyzome, so they couldn't have gotten here so fast. And besides, I left no evidence of my presence on Rhyzome nor did I leave any clues of Rosela's survival. The Rangers believe we have both perished and are nowhere in the universe..._ "

He laughed evilly. "Oh, but when they do see us back from the dead, what a surprise will we give them, especially when they see my beloved turning against them... Oh, how I look forward to their reactions, especially Parsec's. It's sure to _kill_ him."

* * *

An hour after he left, Rosela was finally starting to regain consciousness. Before she opened her eyes, she thought about what had happened last night. She thought she had smelled smoke which made her believe there was a fire, but there was a voice telling her there was nothing to worry about. When that person rubbed her shoulder, she couldn't help but fall back to sleep.

" _That person must've been a guy...and he kissed my forehead, didn't he? Was that Ty? And was he holding me in his arms? Why? Hang on, if there was a fire, did he come to my rescue?_ "

Wanting to know if this was the case, she opened her eyes and sat up, but she felt stunned to see such a large crimson room.

"Okay..." she said, not sure what to make of this. " _Where did Ty take me_?" she wondered as she pulled the blanket off her to stand on the floor. She looked down to find out she was in a black-and-red silk dress to her surprise.

" _Whoa, what's with this gown? Why would anyone..._?"

Then, she noticed something hauntingly familiar on her chest. She held it in her left hand to see it was a star-shaped emerald necklace she saw a long time ago...

Her eyes widened when she thought what this must have meant. She shook her head in denial, her left hand shaking terribly.

" _But...but that can't be! He was destroyed in the explosion!_ "

She thought that this must have been a nightmare. She tried to pinch herself awake, but she was still here.

To be sure that this was a nightmare that she was simply having a hard time waking up from, she took a deep breath to test this illusion. But when she did, she knew that this was all reality.

Her heart almost stopped as tears flowed out of her eyes and found herself landing on her knees.

" _No... No, it can't be... It just can't be!_ "

She wiped her tears away as she ran for the balcony to find a frightening metallic metropolis.

" _Wait...was this the planet he had tried to take me to...? The one he said...only he knows about?_ "

* * *

After Rosela's captor finished assisting with the machine, one of his servants notified him about Rosela being awake in her chambers to his elation.

* * *

Rosela stood on the balcony to see robots walking and flying all over the uninviting city. She leaned against the balcony railing when she noticed that all the robots had...glowing red eyes.

" _Wait, when a robot is under his control, their optics glow red... Then he's enslaved all of these robots during all of this time..._ "

She felt sorry for these poor bots who were kidnapped and forced to serve him in this awful place.

Then she felt her mouth being covered by a metal hand and a metal arm wrapping around her waist as she was lifted off the floor.

"Guess who?" said the same voice that had always terrified Rosela.

" _Nos-4-A2!_ "

He let go of her mouth and waist as his rubber restraints wrapped around her midsection, making her lean against his left arm, his right hand tilting her chin to look at him.

Rosela's eyes were wide in disbelief. " _But...but how? He died in the explosion! But he looks perfectly intact._ "

He grinned softly as he gently traced his right finger up and down her left temple.

"Why, Rosela, you're acting as if you've seen a ghost." Cupping her left cheek, he brought her face a little closer. "Of course, you did think I was destroyed."

Rosela was too shocked and scared to speak at first, but then she started to realize something. "Wait...you faked your demise, didn't you? ...You always planned to make us think you had perished in that explosion, didn't you?"

He closed his optics as he nodded. "That is correct, my love. Yes, I knew that the Rangers were always on the lookout for me and they wouldn't stop at anything to have me destroyed... So then I thought, if they believed I was destroyed, they'd stop searching me. And then searching for you would've been much easier."

"But how could you have survived that explosion?" Rosela had to know.

"There was no real explosion, my dear," he corrected, keeping his optics closed, his grin never faltering. "You see, when the Rangers came and took you away from my vessel the second time, I made Lightyear and Parsec follow me into my ship's helm so they could see the timer to make them believe my vessel was going to be obliterated.

"Then after the Rangers fled with you, they thought they could hear and see an explosion which they believed got rid of me for good, when in fact I used special effects to make them think so. Sort of like in those...movies your people watch."

"Then...how did you disappear?"

"I had a teleporter that took my ship and me away from the faux explosion."

" _So that was why the guys found no traces of him or his vessel after that blast..._ "

"Of course, I could've hoaxed my demise earlier..." he went on, holding Rosela close, "but I waited because I wanted to have at least one moment to hold you."

" _And he got his chance when I decided to use myself as bait to lure him in...but he was way ahead of us all. He planned all of this from the beginning._ "

"Then after my 'foul end'," he continued, "I forced myself to wait three painstaking weeks as I sent my spies to follow you until you were finally on vacation from work, giving me the perfect opportunity to fetch you just as I promised I would."

"Of course," he whispered in her right ear, his left hand slowly stroking her hair, "I had to make certain your fellow Rangers wouldn't try finding you... So I destroyed your tracker before I brought you out of the hotel which I set on fire just so that I could hoaxed yet another person's demise..."

Rosela's heart almost stopped when she understood what he meant. "...You faked my death, too?" she finished.

"Correct!" he confirmed happily but loudly, almost making her jump. He held her shoulders as he looked at her face. "Now no one and nothing will ever separate us."

He stood behind her, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he turned her to face the city down below the palace.

"Behold, a glorious empire I have worked very hard to make and dubbed Immenstropolis. I've named it that because our power will be tremendous."

"Our _power? Wait, what does he mean it_ will _be_?"

"Yes, Rosela," he said, answering her unspoken question, turning her around to face him again. "Every bot and everything on this planet are under our complete control. And that is just the beginning. Someday, someday soon, the universe will be ours. All ours. And tonight you will have the same dominance as I."

" _What? How will I have the same dominance as he does...? Hang on! He's going to make me marry-?!_ "

Before Rosela knew it, he closed his optics as he leaned in to plant his metal lips onto hers. Rosela's eyes have never been so wide as he kept kissing her, wrapping his arms behind her back to keep her close to him.

He kept kissing her, enjoying the sweet taste of her lips. Rosela was feeling numb from terror, her body going limp as his kiss zapped most of her energy.

When he finally broke the kiss, he held Rosela's dazed face. "Rosela, I guarantee, everything will be yours," he vowed sincerely before he smiled, "And I do mean everything...once you become my bride."

Rosela thought she was going to faint for sure, but then he kissed her again, making her shoulders drop, her body weak for a moment.

" _...No... No, no, no. I want don't his kiss. I want Ty's... And Ty and the others all think I'm dead..._ "

When she thought how terrbily heartbroken her friends must've been, she gathered her strength and pulled herself away from Nos-4-A2 who was astonished by her movement.

"Don't!" she implored, her eyes closed as tears fell down her cheeks as she walked around him, taking steps away. "Please stop..."

At first Nos-4-A2 was despondent that she was once again rejecting him...then his sadness turned to anger as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her inside her room to pin her back against the bed to her shock, but she kept her eyes shut, terrified of what he'll do to her now.

She thought that he would definitely kill her for turning him down again as he held her wrists that he also pinned to the bed.

"Look at me!" he yelled, scaring Rosela to open her eyes to see the furious expression on him. "I know the real reason you've refused me all this time. It's because of him, isn't it? And don't think I don't know exactly whom I'm talking about. Ty Parsec."

Rosela was completely stunned to hear her boyfriend's name. " _He knows about Ty?_ "

"Don't try to convince me I'm wrong. I sent spies to follow you, remember? I saw you with him..." His hands on her wrists shook in pure anger. "I even saw you kiss him."

" _No. If he knows I love Ty, then he'll kill him._ "

To her surprise, Nos-4-A2 started to shed tears out of his right eye, his face forlorn as he closed his optics.

"When saw you so close to Ranger Parsec, I almost went to pieces... I thought all of my hard work of winning you was all for naught... But then I realized..." His sadness evaporated as he grinned to her fear. He let go of her right wrist to cup her right cheek. "...just because he's the first male you love, it doesn't mean I can't be the only one you'll love."

Holding onto both of her wrists, his rubber restraints wrapped around her waist before he leaned down to kiss the right side of her neck, making her pant and her head feeling hot.

He stopped to whisper in her right ear, "Once I have given you your gift, I will be the only male you'll want to spend eternity with."

" _Gift? What gift?_ "

"Unfortunately, it isn't ready yet, but until it is..." His monocle glowed right red which made the star emerald's gold clasp feel warm to Rosela's concern...then she felt so...relaxed all of a sudden.

He grinned as he explained, "Fear not, the clasp on your necklace is something that takes the fight out of you. Sort of like a sedative."

Rosela's eyes looked hazy, her mind feeling dizzy, her body no longer in her control. And because of how strong the sedative was, she wasn't in her right mind, so that was why she wasn't bothered by any of this.

Nos-4-A2 grinned in utmost satisfaction as he released his rubber restraints off her, staring at her dazed calm face.

" _I will have to wait until I can have her love, but I can still enjoy having her with me, even if she can't move herself for a while._ "

He let go of her wrists to hold her hands as he resumed kissing her neck, Rosela not objecting in the least.


	11. Two Thrones

**Chapter 11: Two Thrones**

In the energy vampire's palace, Nos-4-A2 had Rosela pinned on her bed, kissing her neck several times until he slid his left hand behind her head that he lifted off the bed as he kissed from her neck up to the right side of her face, holding her left hand as he kept necking her.

When he stopped, he stared at her tranquil expression, the gold clasp necklace's effect keeping her from making any resistance to his gratification as he held the star-shaped emerald that he kissed.

He decided to keep her by his side until the ceremonial preparations were completed, so he wrapped his rubber restraints around her midsection as held her bridal style.

"Come, my sweet," he said softly. "I want to introduce you to my servants..." He grinned, tilting her chin. "...who will soon be your servants as well."

The robots, who were still tending to the preparations, were stopped when they saw their Dark Master coming in, holding the quiet redhead in his arms. The enslaved bots' faces lit up with excitement to see the girl whom their master was madly in love with.

"Master, is she...your bride to-be?"

"Yes, my loyal servants," Nos-4-A2 answered, grinning fondly at Rosela.

"She's beautiful."

"That she is," the vampire agreed calmly. "How are the preparations?"

"They're going well, Master. We're nearly done. It may take nearly an hour."

"Good, good. Keep doing what you're doing, then you will all witness...our union," he finished gaily, leaning his left cheek against her forehead.

The gleeful servants gladly resumed working as he carried Rosela to the throne room. The black throne that Nos-4-A2 had recently broken to pieces was fixed, courtesy of his hypnotized servants, but there was also another throne conjoined on the right side of his throne.

Nos-4-A2 put his left hand on the second throne. "This is yours. Once we are united, you will sit by my side and rule alongside me. Until that happens..."

He sat on his throne, having Rosela sitting on his lap with her back leaning against his chest.

He stared longingly at her still form, then he leaned forward to kiss the back of her head, then he held her hair in his left hand, exposing the back of her neck that he kissed, making her silently gasp in surprise though she showed no signs of struggle.

He put his right hand on her right cheek to make her head turn to the left as he kissed the left side of her face. When he stopped, he looked at Rosela who was as quiet and still as stone.

He felt a bit sad as he held her left hand that he put on his left cheek, closing his optics, wishing she would touch him, too. He had wanted to get her to love him willingly, but he thought that as long as she remembered Ty, she would never give Nos-4-A2 her love.

" _So if I must erase her memories of him in order to have her affections, I will._ "

He kissed her palm before he gently slid her right sleeve down to reveal her right shoulder that he kissed deeply, making Rosela pant very quietly. He slid the sleeve back up to cover her shoulder as he started to kiss the right side of her neck, then he cupped her chin to turn her face to him.

" _I was going to wait to do this again until the ceremony, but frankly I don't see why I can't enjoy it now._ "

He leaned forward to kiss her multiple times, his right hand on her left cheek as he held her left hand, rubbing his left thumb on her knuckles.

When he kissed her, Rosela couldn't help but feel that this had to stop...but then the thought went away as the necklace clasp's effect made her relax again and forced her to let him do as he wished.


	12. The Realization

**Chapter 12: The Realization**

Nos-4-A2 had kissed Rosela many times in the throne room, and he could've sworn she was feeling a little tense until the necklace's clasp made her calm down as she let herself relax again.

He grinned as he gently squeezed her left hand, having the right side of her head lean against his chest.

"Yes, Rosela, relax. Enjoy this," he encouraged before he kissed her left hand.

He so looked forward to the ceremony, to have Rosela as his bride for eternity...

However, he began to think about her relationship with Ty Parsec which made him feel tense.

" _Why? What did she see in_ him _? I don't know nor do I care how passionately he feels for her. No other male in the universe loves her as passionately as I do._ "

"Rosela," he whispered, tilting her chin up. "I am the one you're meant to spend eternity with. It is I who cherishes you so dearly..." He gently stroked his left hand on her left cheek.

He closed his optics as he decided to just wait until the ceremony...then she would be completely his forever.

He gently rubbed his left cheek on her forehead, Rosela feeling comforted by his warmth.

A while back, he thought that his cold metal skin was uncomfortable for her, so he installed himself with a thermostat that would make his body feel warm.

And he was very pleased that Rosela felt relaxed by it. He closed his optics as he deeply kissed her forehead.

"You have my word, you shall have nothing but comfort."

He sat up from his throne, wrapping his rubber restraints around her waist as he flew out of the large window to bring her to the roof. He lifted her chin to have her look at the empire down below.

"Soon, you shall be hailed queen of this world... You shall be revered as I am." Then he moved her face to look at his. "Robots and machines will bow to you and me..."

He kept her back pressed against his chest as he held two sides of his cape to cover Rosela whose left cheek he stroked, making her so relaxed, she closed her eyes. He grinned as he closed his optics, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he leaned his right cheek on her head.

" _Soon she won't need the necklace's clasp to make her enjoy my warm touch. Once everything is hers, she will decide to remain in my arms forever._ "

He smiled at that, gently nuzzling his face in her hair. Suddenly, he got another call from his servants to inform him that the machine they were working on needed energizing.

He almost growled. " _How I hate interruptions_ _ **AND**_ _slow progress!_ " He silently groaned before he responded. "I'll be there in five minutes."

He unwrapped the rubber restraints off Rosela whom he carefully held bridal style for him to see her slumbering face which made him smile.

"Seeing your face does dissipate my irritations," he whispered.

Then he flew off of the roof to her balcony, gently setting her on the bed, covering her with the comforter.

He stared at her for a moment, wanting another good look at her face before he had to leave. He lightly brushed his left knuckles on her right temple, then he stared longingly at her neck...

He slowly grinned, carefully stroking his left finger up and down her neck as he calmly said, "Yes, it only requires two simple tasks to save you from this life. The first is to cleanse you inside and out which will take a while. The second, though, will be _very_ quick."

He leaned down to kiss up and down the front of her neck, Rosela quietly gasping but the necklace's clasp forced her to calm down as she felt his warm metal mouth on her throat.

He stopped to gaze at her, stroking her left cheek to lull her back to sleep which she did. Then he gave her a light kiss before he left to tend to the machine which required his assistance to charge it.

* * *

Away from Immenstropolis, Star Command was in the middle of a funeral. All Space Rangers thought Rosela had died in that fire on Rhyzome. A lot of Rangers who knew her were very sad, but the saddest were Team Lightyear and her partner Ty.

Tears flowed endlessly as Rosela's five closest friends thought of how she didn't make it out of the fire with them.

Ty was the most heartbroken. He thought his moments with her on Rhyzome was his last time with her. He thought he would never again hear her voice, feel her soft gentle touch, or see her smiling face that he had always looked forward to seeing every day.

After the funeral, Ty slowly made his way to the storage room where he had first kissed Rosela... He leaned against the wall, sitting down as his heart throbbed painfully.

He covered his eyes as he sobbed, quietly wishing, "Rosela, please come back."

He didn't understand. How could she not have escaped from that fire? Everyone else did. He was sure the fire alarm would've woken her up. Was she having a hard time getting out?

But he thought the point is: she didn't escape and she was gone.

" _This isn't fair. I thought I was finally gonna have Rosela with me forever...and this happens. Why? Why her?_ "

Suddenly, he got a call from his communicator. At first he thought it was Buzz trying to console him but when Ty answered, it was the Rhyzomian scientist Pro. Triffid.

"Oh, Ranger Parsec, good. I'm glad you answered."

"Professor?"

"Please listen. After the fire, we made a very, very detailed search of...any who might have perished in the flames, but then we discovered something in the ashes. Apparently, evidence of a sleeping gas was in the hotel."

"Sleeping gas? What do you mean...?" Ty stopped when he thought about it. "Wait, are you implying that Rosela's room was filled with sleeping gas?"

"That's right," the professor confirmed. "And most of the investigators agree when we say someone also deliberately set the hotel on fire because as you understand, fires are strictly forbidden on Rhyzome."

"So someone put Rosela to sleep before they started the fire?"

"That would have to be the case. We also did another thorough search of where the body might be, but we found nothing at all... And when I say that, I think that Rosela never really perished in the flames at all."

Ty stood up, thinking seriously. " _So...then Rosela's alive? ...But if she's not on Rhyzome, then..._ " It all hit him. Rosela was no doubt alive, but she was kidnapped!

" _But who..._?"

He thought about Nos-4-A2, but he thought that it was impossible.

" _Buzz and I saw his vessel implode. No way he could've escaped._ "

But when he thought about it, there were no remains of his vessel or his body after the explosion.

" _Could we have been wrong? Is he still alive? But who else would take her?_ "

* * *

Rosela laid in her bed, sleeping as the vampire wanted her to... But even though the necklace clasp's effect still made her feel mindless, her heart called out to the man she truly loved...

* * *

Ty stayed in the storage room, still contemplating behind the mystery of Rosela's disappearance...but then he heard a voice echoing.

"Ty..."

The voice sounded familiar to Ty who felt alert as he looked around.

"Ty...I need you."

"Rosela...?"

"Ty, please...save me."

Ty was very sure that was Rosela's voice calling out to him. "Rosela, where are you?"

Rosela didn't respond which made Ty very troubled. Was he only hearing things?

Then Ty began to see something in his mind. He could see another part of the galaxy that was far, far from Star Command, then he saw a dark planet...with a metropolis city on it. He wondered what in the universe was that place.

Then he noticed a mountain-sized red palace...with a giant letter 'N' that made him remember the same letter a certain robotic villain wrote when he once took over Zurg's world.

" _No... It can't...but it has to be._ "

In Ty's vision, he could see a big red room where someone was lying down on a bed...

" _Rosela!_ "

The vision disappeared to Ty's dismay.

"No! No!"

Ty didn't want the vision of Rosela to end...

" _Wait, was that all a part of my imagination...?_ " Ty thought deeply about it, and he shook his head firmly. " _No, that was real. As uncanny as this all sounds, I can still feel Rosela... She's alive...and so is Nos-4-A2._ "

And that was why she was calling for Ty's help!

" _Rosela, hang on, I'm coming!_ "


	13. Vampire's Exhilaration

**Chapter 13: Vampire's Exhilaration**

Ty went straight to the Commander's office where Team Lightyear listened to hear what Ty had to tell them.

"Pro. Triffid says that there's no sign of her body in that fire, but he did find evidence of a sleeping gas _which_ ," Ty explained, holding his left finger up, "means someone put Rosela to sleep before the hotel burned."

"Wait...you're saying someone wanted to only kill Rosela?" Mira questioned.

"No, I don't think Rosela's dead at all," Ty denied, making his fellow Rangers look at each other in surprise and confusion. "...I think someone wanted to take Rosela for himself, but he wanted to make us think she's dead so we wouldn't find her."

"'He'?" the others echoed.

"Well, I know this'll sound crazy, but it has to be Nos-4-A2."

Everyone gasped in shock from Ty's theory.

"But it can't be," Booster doubted.

"Didn't you and Buzz see him perish along with his vessel?" Mira questioned.

"Yeah...but I think he must've faked that explosion just so that we wouldn't expect him to take Rosela away. I mean, who else would take her? And I think I know where she is right now. I can't explain how I know, I just do. She's on a dark planet that's far from here. I can take us there, so..."

"Now, take it easy, son," Commander Nebula reasoned. "Now I know it's hard to accept all this tragedy, but..."

Ty stared in disbelief. The Commander thought Ty's broken heart was making him imagine things.

"Sir, I know what I'm talking about!" Ty insisted. "Rosela's alive and so is Nos-4-A2. She's on that dark world with him and she needs help."

"But how could that energy vampire possibly have survived that explosion?"

"I don't know, but if Pro. Triffid can't find her body anywhere, then..."

"Ty..." the Commander began to reason again.

Ty realized that the others wouldn't listen to him, so he walked out of the office and went off on his own.

" _If no one's going to believe me, then I'll go save Rosela alone._ "

He marched straight for his cruiser and blasted off into space, headed straight for the planet where he was sure Rosela was being held prisoner.

Team Lightyear just saw Ty take off on his own from the launch bay.

"Where's he going?" Booster asked.

"Where else? To find Rosela," Buzz answered before he thought hard about all this.

"Buzz...?" Mira asked, wondering what he was pondering about.

"I think Ty might be onto something. Think about it, when Nos-4-A2's ship was destroyed, there should've been a lot of remnants of him and his vessel behind. And if Rosela did die in that fire, there should've been signs of her body somewhere. So..."

"So you think Rosela is alive?" Mira asked with wide eyes.

"I don't think, I know," Buzz declared with a grin. "Come on, we gotta help Ty. If, without a doubt, Nos-4-A2 does have her, then Ty's gonna need all the help he can get."

* * *

After Nos-4-A2 finished charging the machine which took several minutes, his servants happily reported that everything would be ready in fifteen minutes.

The Dark Master was most satisfied, returning to Rosela who still slept in the bed. He smiled as he hovered above her, combing his fingers through her long red hair.

"Yes, yes, our union is almost upon us."

He slipped his right hand behind her head that he lifted off the pillow, rubbing his left hand from her head to her neck.

"You'll soon be free from your trance...and join me in the next life."

He rested his left hand on her head when he stared at her neck, thinking about something that made him grin softly before he deeply kissed her neck. As he kept kissing her neck for several seconds, he was imagining something that made him slightly stick out his forked-tongue to give her neck very small gentle licks.

When he stopped, he slightly opened his optics to look at her neck, murmuring, "When you're complete, my darling, you will be liberated from all of the things that used to hold you back... You'll no longer worry about the usual sufferings organics endure. And best of all, you shall live an ageless eternal life... Not to mention..."

He smirked when he gently put his mouth on her neck, making absolutely certain his fangs didn't touch her skin so he wouldn't hurt her as he sucked on her neck, imagining something again.

He gently took his mouth off her skin, smirking again as he gazed into her slumbering face before he finished his sentence, "...we'll even get to have meals together."

He slipped his arms around her shoulders, embracing her as he rested his right cheek on her hair for five minutes.

Then he kissed her several times which made him lose track of time until he got a call from his servants to gleefully tell him that the preparations were finished.

Hearing the good news made him feel absolutely exhilarated. He scooped up Rosela in his arms, giving her another kiss, then he proudly announced, "The time has come, my love. Tonight, we will be one!"


	14. Wedding Dress

**Chapter 14: Wedding Dress**

As soon as the preparations were finally complete, Nos-4-A2 carried Rosela to the top floor of the palace where he ordered his servants to put Rosela in a ceremonial dress while he went away to admire the device he had been working on for weeks.

It was a large red pod that was big enough for a human to be in and this very pod was what he had energized earlier. He stroked his right finger on the pod's glass door, grinning as he thought this would make Rosela new and improved.

His servants came to tell him that Rosela was all dressed up. He returned to find her attached to a vertical table, her hands and feet and waist strapped to the thing. She was wearing a white rosa clara dress with lace sleeves and a slightly long train.

He was awestruck for a long moment, then he grinned softly as stood in front of her, gently holding her face.

He closed his optics as he remembered when he first thought of all of this.

* * *

 _When the Space Rangers first took Rosela from Nos-4-A2's vessel, the energy vampire had to pull himself out of his despair and think of another way to keep Rosela with him forever._

 _After he had returned to his hideout on Immenstropolis, he sat on his throne in his palace to contemplate on how to make it work._

 _"I know they'll also be searching the galaxy for me... That means, the next time they keep Rosela from me, they'll destroy me..."_

 _Then it hit him as he grinned confidently. "Of course. All I have to do is fake my demise_ and _Rosela's!" he declared, his right finger up. "Once they think we are both dead, no one will be looking for us. That's brilliant!"_

 _However, as he imagined what his new life would be like with Rosela by his side for all time, he realized something very, very important: Rosela was a flesh-and-blooded being which means...someday she would die of old age...and he wouldn't have her anymore._

 _He leaned back against his throne, devastated from that dreadful thought. He looked at the star-shaped emerald in his left hand, tears falling from his right eye as he thought of how Rosela would someday be out of his life forever..._

 _He gripped the necklace that he held close to him. "No," he said quietly, "I refuse to let it happen..." Then he stared at the emerald again. "But what in the universe can I do? Even I cannot give immortality to an organic like a robot..."_

 _Saying the word robot made him stop as he thought very hard about something..._

 _"A robot..." Then he started to smile. "Yes, yes, of course. A robot! That's all I have to do. An organic can be turned into an android, can they not? And if she is turned into an android, then all I would have to do is to..." He licked his lips. "...provide the finishing touch...and she'll be just like me. She'll live forever by my side...and even overlook how evil I am. In fact, she'll even be more open-minded about being evil herself... Yes, once I have her under my control, she'll do exactly as I want and not fight back..."_

 _But he stopped as he put his right hand on his chin. If he was going to do this, it would require much, much work and plenty of time because even the smallest miscalculation could cost Rosela her life..._

 _He hated having to wait to have Rosela near him, but if he wanted this to go as he wanted, he would have to take his time doing it._

 _"So be it," he said as he stood up from his throne, then he summoned his slaves. "Come, my loyal subjects. There is so much to be done._ "

* * *

Now Nos-4-A2 was thrilled that all of his hard work was paying off. He believed that tonight, she would be all his.

He floated above her as he reached his left hand to touch her left cheek, then his monocle glowed to make the necklace's clasp stop putting her in a trance.

At first Rosela still felt dizzy from the clasp's effects until he stroked his left hand up and down on her left cheek.

"Rosela, wake up, my dear," he encouraged softly.

Rosela was finally brought to consciousness, though when she discovered herself strapped to a table, she felt terrified.

"Relax, my pet," said Nos-4-A2 whom Rosela saw above her. "I turned off the clasp's hold on you so you can see your wedding dress."

Rosela felt frozen with fear. " _Wedding dress?!_ "

Nos-4-A2 snapped his left fingers for a full-length mirror to lower down from the ceiling, then he cupped her chin to make her see her reflection so she could see herself in the wedding dress.

"You are a true beauty, my darling," he complimented, "Though normally I'd prefer to see you in black, I learned that organics have this tradition for the bride to wear white, so I thought I'd respect this one tradition."

" _Respect tradition?! Why can't he respect my feelings for a change?!_ "

Rosela was close to shedding tears. This was it, he was going to marry her against her will...

" _No... No, I won't go through with this! I love Ty! I won't marry a villain!_ "

Before Rosela spoke, he floated in front of her, holding her face in his hands.

"The time has come at last, Rosela. Once you're complete, we shall finally be one," he declared.

Rosela was confused when he said the word 'complete'. "What do you mean once I'm complete?" " _I'm already in a wedding dress. What else does he need to do?_ "

He grinned as he cupped the left side of her neck. "A while back, I realized something...you're organic."

" _Oh, really?_ " Rosela thought sarcastically. " _What gave that away? The flesh and hair?_ "

"What I mean by that is...organics don't have it so easy in their lives."

" _What the heck is he talking about?_ " Even though she knew she should be scared like crazy, hearing him talk was making her more confused than fearful.

"Oragnics have all kinds of hardships, do they not? They tend to have illnesses, and have all kinds of painful injuries like broken bones and things like that, right?"

" _Yeah, but what do the hardships of us organics have to do with this?_ "

"And..." he continued, slowly stroking his right hand up and down her neck, his expression both serious...and a bit concerned. "...organics don't live forever. That means..." He held a strand of her red hair in his left hand. "...if you die...I can never bring you back... That's why the only way to save you from mortality...is to give you immortality."

Rosela stared at him with stunned eyes. "Immortality?" Every time she saw him, he sounded more and more insane. "How can you possibly do something like that? No one can have immortal life. No one."

"An organic can't have immortal life, but..." he smirked as he tilted her chin with his left hand, "...an android can."

" _An android? What does he...?_ " Then Rosela realized in horror what he was talking about. "You're...going to turn me into an android?"

"Well...that is a start..." he replied as he looked at her neck.

Rosela was beyond scared, but she had the courage to ask, "What do you mean it's a start?"

"What I mean is: it's not enough to just make you an android. Why stop there when I can do something even better? Allow me to give you a hint."

He tilted her chin to look up at the ceiling as he pressed his lips on her neck, then she could feel him sucking on her skin which actually almost made her vomit, but then she understood what he was saying.

He stopped necking her to smile at her. "Have you guessed the right answer?"

"You're gonna bite me after you turn me into an android...and make me like you?"

"Right you are. You'll live on for always. Never will you feel ill or extreme pain, and you'll always feel young and strong. And you won't have to worry about eating the way you used to. Once you have fangs like mine, the only thing you'll ever need to feed on is energy."

The more he spoke, the more Rosela desperately wished this was all just the worst nightmare ever, but her wish just wouldn't come true.

She was about to protest, but he held her face as he kissed her deeply. Rosela would've liked to struggle from this, but his grip on her was too strong; she couldn't budge an inch as she felt numb from being kissed by a monster again...

" _A monster that's going to turn me into a monster..._ "

He finally broke the kiss as he smiled at her, his hands on her shoulders that he gently rubbed.

"So, you see? When I had said before that I would give you everything, I meant it. After all, most organics wish for eternal life."

Rosela finally snapped out of her daze as she spoke with all of her courage. "Well, I don't want immortality!"

He was completely taken aback. She didn't want to live forever?

"Not all us organics want to live forever because some of us aren't afraid of death. And even though an organic mortal life isn't always easy, there are still a lot of things that we enjoy. Plus...you may not believe me, but there is a life after death. A place people's souls go when they die. A place where there is no illness or pain, and where we can feel younger and better than ever..."

He was bewildered and baffled to hear her say these confusing things. What did she mean a place where people's souls go...? Then he got it.

"Oh, you mean, you believe in...Heaven," he deduced, leaning his right finger on his face. Though the mocking tone in his voice told her that he questioned such a place.

"I know it's hard for a robot to believe in these things...but I know it's real..."

He seemed unconvinced by this subject from what she could well tell as he folded his arms and turned around as he floated across the room.

"Well, even if there was a place an organic's soul can go, a robot can never go to such a place...because robots don't have souls..." he said solemnly. "Yes, most of us robots can think for ourselves and even have emotions...so I suppose we bots know what it's like to have a mind and a heart..."

He slightly turned his head to her with a very serious look. "But minds and hearts or not, we can never say we have a soul... So when we bots die...we don't go anywhere..."

He turned around as he slicked his cape. "So, whether I live for eternity and you die or if we both perish...I still wouldn't have you..."

He quickly stood in front of her which scared her as his right hand tilted her chin up, his grip not loosening as he made sure she saw see how dead serious he was.

"And I will not live without you." He grinned softly as he carefully rubbed the back of his right finger up and down her throat, making her lightheaded from his warm but mad touch. "We are meant to be one, you and I."

Rosela pulled herself together as she gritted her teeth before she removed her chin from his grip, giving him a burning glare.

"What don't you understand?!" she shouted. "You're too evil for me to love. And I don't care how powerful your mind control is: even if you do turn me into an energy vampire, I'll still resist you."

He was shocked to hear her shout at him...but he had another dead serious look as he held her cheeks and kissed her again.

Rosela tightly closed her eyes that shedded tears. Even if she could resist his power, she'd still be an energy vampire...

" _No, I don't want this... Ty, please, help me! Please!_ " her heart screamed.

As he kept kissing her, he slightly opened his optics to see tears rolling down her cheeks, his fingers starting to get wet.

" _So...she's still refusing me...and it's all because of Parsec,_ " Nos-4-A2 hissed in his mind. He let go of her face to wipe his fingers dry, then he pulled out a medical shot from his cape.

Rosela had her eyes closed, so she didn't see what he was doing as he said, "I see your love for Ranger Parsec is still making you stubborn. In that case..." Then Rosela was shocked to feel a sharp pain in the back of her neck. "...then those memories of him must be derezzed posthaste."

Rosela was starting feel very dizzy, leaning her head against the table she was strapped to.

"Worry not, dearest," he assured with a grin as he tossed away the medical shot. "It's something to put you to sleep during the operation. Have no fear, though..." he went on as he cupped her left cheek. "You'll be administered with anesthesia so you won't feel any pain." He smiled fondly as he stroked her cheek. "I promised you a painless comfortable life, and I intend to keep my word."

" _No... No...this can't be it,_ " Rosela denied as her eyes were forced to close as she was losing consciousness. " _Ty...hurry, please. I need you._ "

* * *

Ty was still heading to Nos-4-A2's secret hideout on his own, then he heard a scream. Rosela's scream.

"Ty, please, help me! Please!"

Ty was devastated to hear just how desperate her scream for help was. What was Nos-4-A2 doing to her?

" _Rosela, hang on! I'm coming!_ "

Then he got a call from his cruiser's communicator. It was Buzz.

"Ty, do you read me?" Buzz asked as his face showed up on the screen.

"Buzz, don't stop me. I don't care if you don't believe me. I know Rosela's alive and she needs help now!" Ty said determinedly as he kept going.

"That's why I'm calling. We're not trying to stop you. We know Rosela is alive, too. That's why we're coming to help you," Buzz explained with a grin.

Ty was taken by surprise. Buzz and his team believed him?

"Your theories about Nos-4-A2 make sense," Buzz went on, "And if Nos-4-A2 has a stronghold, you're gonna need backup."

Ty grinned gratefully at Buzz for believing him and coming to aid him to rescue Rosela.

As the four Rangers kept following Ty's lead, he could hear Rosela's voice again. This time it sounded faint.

"Ty...hurry, please. I need you."

" _Rosela, please hold on. We'll save you._ "


	15. The Ceremony

**Chapter 15: The Ceremony**

Ty and the others were very close to their destination, then Ty could see the dark planet many, many miles away from them.

"Buzz, that's it," Ty enunciated. "Rosela's there."

"That's Nos-4-A2's hideout?" Booster asked.

"It's so secluded from the other planets," Mira commented. "No wonder we couldn't find him."

"Until now," Buzz put in. "Ty, if Nos-4-A2 is there, then it's obvious he's got guards there."

Ty nodded in agreement. "But Nos-4-A2 doesn't know that we know he's alive. So we do have the element of surprise."

"Right," Buzz concurred with a grin. "We just need to get in there undetected."

The Rangers decided to leave their cruisers behind in space as they used their cruise liners to head for that ominous black planet. As they came closer, they could see a metropolis which was just like the one Ty saw in his vision. They also saw the enormous palace with the letter N which was where Ty knew Rosela was being kept.

The Rangers hid their liners outside of the city, then they used their jet-packs to fly through the city as stealthily as possible as they arrived at the palace walls.

"So, are we bursting in through the front door?" X.R queried. "Or do we fly up at the top floor?"

"Hmm..." Buzz thought as he rubbed his chin. "Actually, we can do both."

"Huh?" the other Rangers asked, not understanding what he meant.

"We split up. Ty, Mira and I head up there, and X.R and Booster stay down here. Once we reach the top floor unnoticed, the Booster and X.R cause a disturbance at the front door to get Nos-4-A2's attention, then Rosela will be left alone for us to get her out of there."

The three Rangers sneaked into the palace from high above while the other two Rangers stayed down to wait until the guys would call them to cause a diversion.

As the boys waited in hiding, they noticed the enslaved bots all gathering inside the palace.

"What are they going into the palace for?" Booster whispered.

They started to hear the bots talking excitedly to each other.

"It's finally time! We're gonna see the ceremony!"

"Ceremony? What ceremony?" Booster asked X.R.

"Beats me, but if it has anything to do with Nos-4-A2, it's sure to be bad."

"Maybe we should tell Buzz."

* * *

Mira ghosted Buzz and Ty on the third floor so not to draw the wrong attention. The coast was clear, thankfully, then Buzz got a call from Booster.

"Buzz, come in. All of these robots are coming inside the palace. They're saying something about a ceremony, but we don't know what it is."

"A ceremony, huh? And it's calling all robots," Buzz thought, his right hand on his chin. "...Well, it could mean..."

Buzz stopped when he realized in complete horror what it meant: Nos-4-A2 was going to force Rosela to marry him.

* * *

Nos-4-A2 carried an unconscious Rosela to the pod where the gently placed her in. He stared at her lovingly as he slowly stroked the back of his left finger on her right cheek.

"How I've waited for this day..." he murmured.

He clenched his right fist when he realized he would have to wait an hour until she was robotized. He wasn't ready to keep his hands off her after waiting many days...

"I simply hate waiting...but I must be patient for at least another sixty minutes. Then..." He held her face as he lifted her head up before he leaned down to kiss her for several seconds, then he broke the kiss as he smiled at her. "...you'll belong to me: mind, heart, body and soul."

He rubbed his right cheek on her forehead as he held her to his chest. He thought that after this, she would stop resisting him and finally hold him in her arms.

He gently put her back down before he closed the pod door, putting his right hand on the glass door as he stared at her. Then he snapped his left fingers to give the orders.

"Administer the anesthesia at once. I don't want her to feel any pain during all of this."

* * *

Buzz thought now was a good time for the diversion. When he gave Booster and X.R the word, the two nodded as they stepped in front of the open door as all robots came in.

The guys sneaked inside, doing their best to be undiscovered as they hid behind the tall, wide red pillars as the eager robots walked through the large foyer to a very spacious gathering hall. The boys managed to sneak into the gathering hall while carefully hiding behind the pillars inside.

They noticed something the bots were staring at...it was a red pod with someone wearing white inside it...

Booster gasped quietly. "That's Rosela," he whispered.

"And Buzz and the others thought she was upstairs," X.R added. He quickly called his captain. "Buzz, I think you guys want to come downstairs if you want to find Rosie 'cause she's not on the top floor."

"What?" Buzz asked, completely surprised she was actually down there and not up here.

"Then we gotta get down now," Ty affirmed.

"Right. Booster, X.R, you guys..." Buzz started to say, but he stopped when a familiar voice inside the wide gathering hall startled Buzz to stop talking.

Booster and X.R were scared to hear the voice of a certain villainous vampire who descended from the ceiling as he stood beside the pod Rosela was trapped in.

"My loyal followers! We are gathered here today..." Nos-4-A2 started to announce.

Buzz, Ty and Mira immediately made haste as the Tangian ghosted the three of them through the many, many floors.

Nos-4-A2 kept speaking as he placed his right hand on the pod's glass door. "...to witness the union of your Dark Master and his rightful companion. However, before the union..." he said, holding up his left hand. "...my bride must first become one of us. And when she is...all that will be left to do is for me to provide the finishing touch." He licked his lips to prove his point. "Then she shall not only be immortal, but she will also be your Dark Mistress!"

The robots cheered loudly, then X.R held is dome head when he knew what the vampire meant. "That pod... It's...it's a robotizer," X.R said to all of his teammates. "Nos-4-A2 is gonna turn Rosela into a robot and then bite her so she'll be an energy vampire like him."

As Mira kept ghosting the senior Rangers through the floors, they were all completely horrified to hear this. If Rosela was an energy vampire...she'd feed on robots like X.R. And even worse, if she was under Nos-4-A2's control, he'd make her as evil as him.

The Rangers wouldn't have it, especially Ty. No way were they going to let Nos-4-A2 corrupt her. Rosela was a friend and a defender of righteousness just like the Space Rangers.

The enslaved robots kept cheering as Nos-4-A2 laughed.

Mira finally got Buzz and Ty to the bottom floor to find Booster and X.R behind one of the pillars.

"Guys, we cause the diversion," Buzz said to his team. "Then Ty gets Rosela away from here."

Nos-4-A2 who still hadn't noticed the Rangers yet, kept laughing as he spread his arms. "Let the ceremony begin!"

Buzz and his team nodded as they started blasting at the robots much to the shock of the energy vampire who was left stunned when he actually saw the Rangers here...at his hidden world.

" ** _WHAT?!_** "

"We object!" Buzz yelled as he and his team kept blasting.

Nos-4-A2's eyes widened, then his face twisted in sheer rage. " _How?! How could they have possibly found this place?!_ " However the Rangers found his planet, he wouldn't let the Rangers take her away from him this time.

He gave his slaves the orders, then he swooped down to face Ranger Lightyear.

"How in the blazes did you discover this place?" Nos-4-A2 demanded.

"Call it a miracle," Buzz said simply.

That grin on Buzz's face really made the vampire burn as the villain roared and charged at Ranger Lightyear who dodged.

All the while, Ty sneaked through the battlfield undetected as he finally came to the pod where Rosela was locked inside. Ty carefully used his laser to break the lock, then he held Rosela bridal style as her head and arms dangled in his hold.

Ty wasted no time as he cautiously went around the fray to take Rosela to safety but just when Ty came to the door, Nos-4-A2 glanced at the pod to notice to his dismay that Rosela wasn't inside.

He didn't understand who could've taken her because Lightyear and his team had been fighting his followers...then he sharply turned around to see Ranger Parsec exiting the palace door and using his jet-pack with Rosela in his arms.

Nos-4-A2 gripped his fists, his face looking mad with grief, then he hollered to his slaves, "Take care of them!" Then he flew straight out of the palace door to Buzz's horror that Nos-4-A2 was going after Ty.

Buzz wanted to take his team out of here and help Ty, but there were too many robots blocking their path. Ty was on his own.


	16. Strongest Will

**Chapter 16: Strongest Will**

Ty held Rosela protectively as he started flying to the outskirts of this robotic city. During the flight, Rosela was starting to move to his surprise as she opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first.

"Rosela?"

His voice surprised her as she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision so she could see...

"Ty?" She felt wide awake, shocked and overjoyed to see her true love by her side. "Ty, is that you?" she asked softly, her left hand on his chest, her eyes swelling with tears of joy.

Ty also started to shed joyful tears as he nodded. "Yeah...it's me."

Rosela smiled as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, tears falling down her face.

"It's you. It's really you," she cried. She could hardly believe he came to her rescue in the nick of time and she was totally, absolutely grateful. "Ty..."

Ty grinned as he held her closer. "Shh...it's okay. I'm here now..."

He had never felt so happy and grateful in all of his life. Before he thought his beloved was gone but here she was, safe in his arms once again.

" _I can't believe my vision was right. Now I believe in anything._ "

Remembering they needed to leave, Ty said, "But let's not stay here any more than we need to. Hold on, I'm taking you away from this place."

Rosela wanted nothing more than to put this nightmare all behind them, leaving with her dearest whom she held onto, feeling safer than ever in his arms.

When she opened her eyes, her joy turned to terror when she saw someone far away, someone coming straight at them. "Ty, he's after us!"

Ty's heart sank, hoping with all of his being that it wasn't so, but when he saw Nos-4-A2 charging at them, Ty had to try something.

"Hang on!"

Ty flew downwards into the deserted metropolis, hoping to give Nos-4-A2 the slip. He flew around the skyscrapers like a slalom in order to elude the energy vampire.

"Is he still chasing us?"

Rosela kept a lookout, but Ty's evasive maneuvers weren't shaking the vampire. "Yes."

" _Craters! What do we gotta do to lose that monster?!_ "

Ty knew that there was only one thing to do. First thing's first, he had to keep Rosela out of Nos-4-A2's clutches. He had an idea how to slow the villain down. As soon as Ty flew around another skyscraper, he reached his right hand to tear the train off of the dress Nos-4-A2 made Rosela wear.

Ty time it perfectly as he watched for Nos-4-A2 to fly around, then Ty threw the torn wedding dress train right onto the vampire who was blinded by the white fabric, causing him to stop midair to get the cloth off himself which gave Ty the time to fly up the skyscraper to see a closet on the roof.

"Here, you hide in here," Ty said as he opened the door and gently pushed a confused Rosela inside. Holding her left hand, he implored, "And no matter what, don't come out until I come back."

Ty closed the door, leaving Rosela whose eyes widened when she knew of Ty's plan which made her shed tears. "Ty..."

She knew Ty defeated Nos-4-A2 before...when he was the wirewolf. And now that Nos-4-A2 knows that she loves Ty...

" _Ty, please...don't die._ "

Ty looked over the roof to see Nos-4-A2 pulling the train off himself, showing the look of an engraged wild animal as he looked around for Ty and especially Rosela.

Ty made a surprise attack as he flew down to Nos-4-A2 who was caught off guard by Ty's tackle. Ty pushed him against the cement wall, then Nos-4-A2 hissed as he tried to scratch Ty's face but Ty moved bakcwards to avoid a painful mark.

Nos-4-A2 bared his sharp teeth as he glared at the very man who took Rosela out of his palace.

"You," he said in a low, threatening voice. "You hid Rosela. Now you tell me, where is she?"

"And what makes you think I would ever tell you?" Ty talked back.

"Perhaps this will convince you." The energy vampire lunged at Ty who evaded the attack. Ty tried to shoot him, but the villain was too fast. "You can't defeat me, not on your own. Now tell me where Rosela is and I may show mercy."

"You _may_ show me mercy?" Ty questioned. "That doesn't sound very promising."

"Well, let me put it to you this way," Nos-4-A2 said, pressing his metal fingers together, "The longer you don't tell me of Rosela's location, the worse I'll make it for you."

"Even if I believed you would spare me, I still wouldn't give Rosela to you and let you ruin her!"

Nos-4-A2 was seething with rage. "I am trying to **_save her!_** I'm giving her everlasting life!"

"You call turning her into a monster like you a life? Feasting on robots and hurting people, being evil inside and out? That's not what she wants!"

"And it's not what you want, either," Nos-4-A2 said bitterly. "I know you love her as well. You came to take her away from me."

"You bet I am. Rosela doesn't deserve to suffer in your hands."

Rage built up inside Nos-4-A2, his claws ready for the kill. "The only one who will suffer in my hands is you and anyone else who dares to take Rosela from me!"

Ty tried to avoid his wrath by flying upwards. Then when he was on the skyscraper Rosela was hiding on, he glanced below to see where Nos-4-A2 was, but to his bewilderment he couldn't see him.

All of a sudden, he felt two metal claws on his shoulders which made him look to see the vampire who bit his suit to Ty's complete horror. Nos-4-A2 released his fangs and claws off him before he floated inches behind the Ranger who couldn't move his arms or legs because the suit was under Nos-4-A2's control.

"Now you could try to do what Rosela did and damage your suit so I can't make it do my bidding," Nos4-A2 suggested teasingly as he made Ty's suit turn the powerless Ranger around. "Oh! But wait, if you do that, you'd be helpless without your weapons. Of course," Nos-4-A2 went on, his arms folded as he smirked at the Ranger, "whether you damage your suit or not, you will meet your end. Question is: How do I want to do it?"

Nos4-A2 put his left finger on his head as he pretended to think hard. "Ah, I know. I'll make your suit fly straight up, all the way into the airless space with your oxygen helmet off. Then you will suffocate painfully and at the same time, I will find Rosela and make her mine for eternity and she won't remember a thing about you. And your soul will suffer knowing that she loves me and has stopped loving you Oh, yes, no greater suffering than that."

Rosela could her everything. Nos-4-A2 was going to kill Ty.

Without wasting a second, Rosela opened the door and shouted, "Wait!"

Nos-4-A2 turned around in surprise, then he smiled joyfully to see Rosela on the very building he was standing on. Rosela ran forward, making Nos-4-A2 foolishly think she had come to him. He was about to embrace her, but she avoided his arms to his puzzlement as she ran up to Ty whom she wrapped her arms around.

Nos-4-A2 looked to see to his dismay that Rosela was clinging onto Ty. He knew with great disappointment that she had come only for Ranger Parsec.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me, too," Rosela said in a clear voice, never letting her grip loose.

"Rosela, what are you saying?!" Ty cried.

Nos4-A2 couldn't believe she was going this far for Ty. "You mean...you would die with him?"

"I would die to protect him," Rosela said firmly.

Nos-4-A2 was completely taken aback. She loved Ty this much...? His disappointed face turned into anger and hurt.

"It's always about him, isn't it?!" he snapped, motioning his right hand to Ty. Then Nos-4-A2 stopped when he thought of something. His look of anger melted away as he put his hands behind his back.

"But if you really want me to spare him, I will," he said calmly with his optics closed. Then he quickly opened his optics as he pulled Rosela from Ty. "If you and I come to an agreement once and for all," he said with mad confidence in his voice.

"No, Rosela, don't listen to him!" Ty pleaded, knowing Nos-4-A2 was going to use him to make her stay with him here forever.

Nos-4-A2 frowned at the Ranger. "You will be seen and not heard." He had Ty's suit make his hands cover his mouth, the poor Ranger struggling to free his face.

"Now, back to our negotiation." Nos-4-A2 said to Rosela whom he smiled fondly at, holding her left hand that he stroked. "As I said, I will spare Parsec along with Lightyear and his team if they're still alive," Nos-4-A2 started, motioning his head to the palace that Rosela looked at.

" _Buzz and the others are here and at the palace, battling for their lives?!_ "

She felt Nos-4-A2's left finger under her chin as he made her face him, his grin growing bigger.

"They'll all be spared if you agree to stay with me...and become what I am and love me for eternity. We'll live forever and the universe will be ours." Cupping her right cheek, he pulled her closer. "What say you, my love?"

Ty shedded tears, his heart breaking. He had just found out Rosela was actually alive and tried to free her from a fate worse than death, but now he may just lose her forever right now if she stayed with the villain and become a villain herself. She'd no longer be the woman he had always loved.

Rosela was also heartbroken. If she said no, Ty and her friends would die but if she said yes, she'd do whatever he wanted...for all time.

Gripping her right hand, she pulled herself out of Nos-4-A2's hold as she stood up straight and yelled, "I say no! I'll never agree to your demands!"

Nos-4-A2 was stunned by her answer. "...What? No? ...But...when X.R's life was on the line, you agreed to my demands then."

"That was because I thought I would only be your prisoner, but now you want me to do something much worse: You want me to be a monster and attack the innocent...and as much as I want to save my friends, I'd only betray them if I let you turn me into an energy vampire."

Giving him a stern look, she went on, "Even if you did turn me into an energy vampire against my will, I'd still refuse your control! I don't care if I die of starvation. I'll never feast on robots, I'll never attack people, and **_I'll never love a villain who still doesn't know what true love is!_** "

Nos4A2 had a look of perplexity on his face. "What do you mean I don't know what true love is?"

"If you weren't evil, you'd understand what love is really about. When we love someone, we do our part to be respectful and understanding about their decisions and feelings. That means if you truly love me as much as you say you do, you wouldn't have tried to hurt me. Yes, I know you've never hurt me physically, but all this time you've seriously hurt me emotionally. You kidnapped me more than once; you forced your affections on me; you tried to take me away from my friends and now you're threatening my friends' lives to make me agree to let you turn me into a villain like you. As I said before, even if you do turn me into an energy vampire, I'd still resist you. I'm stronger than you think I am. So you see now? I'll never give you my love. I'll always fight you until one of us is destroyed."

Nos-4-A2 had an expression that Ty and Rosela couldn't read but her words seriously made an impact in Nos-4-A2's mind. When she claimed how strong she is, he recalled how she had the strength to damage her Ranger suit that he had controlled.

At that time, he didn't believe or understand how she could've done that, but..if a robot like X.R resisted his will before, then couldn't a strong-willed organic like Rosela do the same thing? But if she could resist his power, she would fight him and he would have no choice but to destroy her.

But...he couldn't harm her. Not her. He knew he didn't have it in him to destroy the woman he loved. So that meant she would've destroyed him...and she would've made herself starve to death if she protected robots from her hunger.

So...either way she still would have died and never love him. Not someone like him because he was so evil...

Nos-4-A2 floated backwards, his hands on his face, looking like he was in sheer agony. ...Then, with his left hand covering his face, he waved his right hand. Ty then landed on the skyscraper roof, feeling himself free to move his body to his shock.

Rosela couldn't believe her eyes. Did Nos-4-A2 really set him free? She was about to address Nos-4-A2 but to her bemusement, he was gone.

Ty stood beside Rosela, wondering where the vampire went. Then Ty got a call from his communicator.

"Ty, are you all right?" Buzz asked concernedly.

"Yeah, we're just fine. What about you guys?"

"We're all okay, but you must've destroyed Nos-4-A2 because these robots suddenly became free from his control."

"No, Buzz," Rosela corrected. "...No, we didn't. Nos-4-A2 set the robots free. He did it willingly. He even spared Ty..."

"Wha-? He did?"

"It's true." Rosela insisted calmly.

"Rosela said some things to him...and I guess she talked sense into him," Ty informed, still amazed about it himself.

The Rangers heard it but they couldn't believe it. Nos-4-A2 actually heeded Rosela's words and let Ty, Team Lightyear and even Rosela go?

* * *

Nos-4-A2 hid in a tower, his hands still covering his face.

He finally understood everything. When he fell for Rosela because of her polite demeanor and good sense of humor, he realized the reason she was like that was because she was a good person... A person with the strongest will that would have never let her love a villain.

"So...all of this was for naught. No matter what I do, she'll never surrender herself to me."

Looking at his claws, he murmured, "So this is the consequence for being so evil... My ways have won me nothing. She was right all along. Villainy only leads to suffering."

And to have no one loving him was the greatest suffering of all. He knew just how much grief he had given to Rosela and for the very first time, he felt remorseful.

"My sins have only rewarded me with loneliness...a loveless life."

Nos-4-A2 pulled out something from his cape. It was that purple flutter shirt that Rosela left behind on his vessel. He stared at the violet cloth, tears falling from his right eye. He knew he could never have Rosela, but he couldn't stop loving her, no matter how hard he tried.

He cried quietly, holding the flutter shirt against his chest, imagining the cloth was Rosela in his arms.


	17. Never Quit

**Chapter 17: Never Quit**

After Nos-4-A2 disappeared, Ty and Rosela returned to the palace to help Buzz and the guys to gather up the free robots whom they would take back home where they belonged.

Buzz had already called for extra help from Star Command who sent many groups of Rangers to Immenstropolis where everyone worked to bring the robots into the cruisers.

Back on the tower, Nos-4-A2 was watching the whole thing...not even wanting to stop them from leaving. However...he knew that even though he let Rosela and her friends go...Star Command would still hunt him down and lock him away in prison.

Frankly, he didn't care if he was in prison or not. Everything was meaningless now. Even if he could be free, what could he have? No one would trust or befriend or love him...

Even though he had finally understood Rosela's words about villainy only bringing an insufferable unloved life, he felt it was too late to start over. He would have no one and nothing...

" _Let them find me. They can do whatever they wish. Nothing matters._ "

He took one last look at the purple flutter shirt of Rosela's, thinking about how happy she is to be reunited with Ty...

He still didn't want to make her suffer and he wasn't going to interfere with her life any longer...but he knew before that he would always love her...

" _I want to live without these feelings...or else I'll never..._ "

He was afraid if he kept loving her, he might not control himself and try to take her again.

" _No, no...I can't. Never again. I cannot...I don't want to hurt her anymore._ "

* * *

Rosela, who was given her Space Ranger suit courtesy of the backup Rangers who brought it for her, was helping her friends bring the robots to the star cruisers so they could leave this planet.

" _There's just one robot we haven't found..._ "

Rosela knew at long last Nos-4-A2 realized that being evil promises nothing but misery and woe to himself, and he wanted to harm nobody now...

" _I'd...like for him to come with us...so he can start anew. We can change Zurg's programming on him so he won't need to feed on energy anymore. He'll be free._ "

However, she knew there was the mountain of mayhem he had caused which meant Star Command wouldn't go easy on him.

" _My fellow Rangers won't overlook all the things he had done even though he's changed. They will not let him be unpunished...and will he let them punish him? What if he resists? He'll make it worse on himself if he does. Or worse, he'll attack anyone who tries to arrest him._

" _But still...I don't want to leave him here all alone. I know he did a lot of very bad things, but I want him to have a 2nd chance. If he has to be punished, I'll ask for his punishment to be lightened a bit. And when his punishment is over, then hopefully the LGMs can change his programming and he can start a new life._ "

Rosela knew she had to tell her friends about this first, so she spoke with Ty and Team Lightyear who were shocked by her idea. She insisted they should find him and convince him to return with them.

Buzz informed her that if they found him, they'll have to arrest him because of his many wrongdoings but Rosela said if Nos-4-A2 cooperates, then they could vouch for him so his punishment wouldn't be severe and that they could help him change.

"I know it's crazy, but I know he's learned the error of his ways and I want us to give him a fresh start. Everyone deserves a 2nd chance."

Ty and the guys knew she was serious...and they thought that maybe she was right. If the LGMs could make it so he can't feed on energy anymore, he could be trusted. That is, if _he_ would trust them first.

Meanwhile, Nos-4-A2 looked at the purple flutter shirt in his hands...then he dropped the cloth that he pointed his left finger at, a flame shooting out of his finger that burned the shirt to nothing. Then the fire started to burn the tower itself...not that he cared as he remained where he was.

" _I might as well perish in these flames as well...so that I can never go near Rosela again..._ "

* * *

Buzz and the others kept working on getting all of the robots off of Immenstropolis, then they helped Rosela search for Nos-4-A2 whom they hoped wouldn't put up a fight when they found him wherever he was.

Rosela, who was in the air doing a search from high up, saw a tower far away, being swallowed by flames to her shock. She wondered how that happened, but then a thought came to her.

"He's...he's not in there, is he?"

She called her friends about the tower who followed her to the flaming building that was starting to crumble down.

They used their oxygen helmets so the smoke wouldn't suffocate them as they quickly searched inside. Rosela flew up to the first floor because she had a gut feeling he might have been there.

Nos-4-A2 caught sight of someone outside of the window... He was horrified to see it was Rosela coming his way. He shook his head, not wanting her presence to make him lose control so he blasted a hole in the wall to make another window of his own that he shot straight out of.

Rosela flew in to see the top floor empty, but she saw Nos-4-A2 flying out of the hole on the other side of the room.

Rosela wasn't going to lose him as she went after him...but was he resisting an arrest?

" _I won't believe it until I catch up to him._ "

What she didn't notice was the burning tower behind her coming down. Nos-4-A2 glanced over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't following him, but she was.

He tried to lose her by hiding in the shadows of a street. Rosela stopped because she knew going in there on her own would've been reckless. She turned around and saw to her bewilderment the tower burning to the ground. She called her friends who informed her that they were all fine to her relief, then she told them that she saw Nos-4-A2 hiding in the shadows.

They joined her in the search, splitting up to roam the area very carefully. Rosela stepped into an alley...then she heard an explosion that came from the spot where the burning tower was.

She saw a long sharp piece of the building flying in the air and falling straight...for her! Rosela would've jumped out of the way, but the sharp piece of rubble was flying too fast for her to dodge.

Rosela thought that right here she was going to die... She thought that after everything that happened, Nos-4-A2 wouldn't get a 2nd chance, she couldn't work with her good friends ever again...and she could never be with her beloved Ty anymore...

However, someone pushed her out of the way. Rosela ended up hitting the alley wall, stunned from the impact at first, then she looked to see the sharp rubble aiming at...Nos-4-A2!

The energy vampire was impaled by the rubble that left a big hole in his midsection, mangling him badly as he fell to the ground.

Rosela watched in horror at the truly horrible state he was in, then she ran up to him. He had his hands wrapped around the rubble, then Rosela pulled the thing off him to his complete astonishment, especially when she carefully lifted his head and shoulders.

Rosela stared at the huge hole in his body. "Oh, my word, look at you," she said with worry in her tone. " _He...took a hit for me. He risked his well-being for mine. He saved my life... And now it's my turn to return the favor._ " "We've got to get you help."

Nos-4-A2 stared at her, not believing what he was seeing. She was...concerned about him? But why?

Rosela gently put him down to call the others. "Guys, I found him, but he's been damaged badly. We're at the alley. Please hurry." When she ended the call, she gently lifted his head again. "Help's on the way," she said softly. "Just hang on."

"What are you doing?" he asked in a weak voice. "Why in the galaxies would you help me after what I've done to you?"

"Because... Now please hear me," she requested gently, "I can't give you my love...but I want to give you my friendship."

"Your...friendship?"

"Yes...you spared Ty and my friends; you set all the robots free, and you just saved my life. I wanted to look for you and ask you to come back with us."

" _That's why she was searching for me? To invite me to come with her and her fellow Rangers..._ " "You...would ask me to come with you? A menace of the universe?"

"You're not a menace," she said clearly, shaking her head. She smiled warmly at him. "Not any more. Otherwise, you wouldn't have spared everyone. You know I'm right. That's why I believe you deserve a 2nd chance."

"A 2nd chance?" he repeated quietly. " _She...wants to give me another chance...? She wants to befriend me...to forget all I've done...because I finally did the right thing._ "

Even though he knew he had done the right thing by releasing Rosela and everybody else, the crimes he had committied burned in his mind as he closed his optics and turned his head away.

"I don't deserve it. I've caused nothing but grief and suffering for the universe. That was always my programming. It was what I was created for." " _There is no hope for this killing machine, so I might as well be scrap now._ "

"That's what you said to me when you had me on your vessel, but I once told you that you're a self-thinking robot. You can still decide what you want to do. And you chose to spare my fellow Rangers and to let me go with them. Is that something a villain would do?"

He slightly opened his optics, thinking a lot about what she said, then he spoke with regret in his voice, "But I've done such unspeakable things...to you and everyone you care about..."

"And you let my friends and me go because you don't want to hurt anyone anymore. You know how miserable and unsuccessful a villain's life truly is. I know you do... So please let me help you start over again so you can have friends, too," she implored which really surprised him.

"You mean, you actually forgive me?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Yes," she answered unhesitantly which never ceased to astound him. "Please...let's start over. I want us to."

He just couldn't believe it. She wanted so much to be friends with him and help him start a whole new life...but...

"Rosela, if I go with you, I might not be able to control myself. When I first felt things for you, I was completely obsessed with you...and I thought I couldn't function without you. I...might be tempted to take you away again...and I don't want to do that to you."

Nos-4-A2 was totally guilt ridden when he thought of all he had put Rosela through...and he knew that even now, he still loved her and he didn't want to risk his uncontrollable feelings making her a prisoner again.

"I...cannot go with you...not when I know my feelings will make you suffer... That was why I set that tower on fire...to put an end to my existence."

Rosela was stunned to hear what he was saying. He tried to destroy himself...just so he couldn't get his hands on her again?

Rosela shook her head, not wanting to accept his decision. " _No, he's throwing away the perfect opportunity. I don't want him to waste it._ " "I won't let you."

Nos-4-A2 slightly turned his head to her, surprised to hear such a firm tone in her voice. "I won't let you crash. I won't let you give up on yourself. You still saved me and despite your fear of yourself, you still want to be cared for and I want to care for you... But if you are this afraid of yourself, what if...the LGMs do two things for you?"

This made him look straight at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"The LGMs can change your programming so that you won't have to feed on energy anymore. You won't have to suffer constant hunger. And...if you're so afraid of taking me, then the LGMs can erase your memories of me."

He was shocked by her suggestion. Let the LGMs erase all of his memories of her?

"Not only that, but they can also erase all of the memories of all the things you went through in your life. That way, you won't always feel guilty by the things you've done. You'll be free of remorse and hunger. You'll get the chance to be a friend to everyone. How does that sound?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

Nos-4-A2 thought hard. If he didn't remember his time as a villain, he would be guilt-free. Nothing would ever haunt him...and he wouldn't be worried about feasting on robots if his thirst of energy was gone forever.

And if he couldn't remember Rosela...he'd never be forced to keep her with him. He could see her as she sees him now: a friend.

" _Not only would she be a friend of mine...but I can have an easier time making friends with others...robots and organics... I would be free of all the painful memories...and I wouldn't feel any sadness when I see Rosela with Ty Parsec..._ "

"I...would like that very much," he spoke with a warm smile which was the first time for Rosela who was overjoyed he wanted to do this. Then he had an unsure look. "But...if Zurg finds out, he'll try to make me his weapon again..."

Rosela could see what he was saying. The evil emperor would try to steal Nos-4-A2 and turn him into his killing machine.

" _And if Zurg can erase his memories of using Ty to betray him...then Zurg could make Nos-4-A2 forget he was our friend..._ "

With a firm look, she declared, "That won't happen. Zurg will never know you're with us, because if your memories of a villain are going to be deleted, then the LGMs can give you a new appearance so that Zurg won't recognize you. That's sure to keep you safe from him forever. No one will ever use you to harm anyone ever again."

Nos-4-A2 thought that a new look for him would be the best way to trick Zurg so he wouldn't know where he was.

" _If so...then I would be completely free. Free from craving energy, free from being used, free from remorse, free from all the things that held me back..._ " "When you put it like that...it does sound foolproof," he agreed with a grin, then he had a sorry expression. "Still, I can't believe you're doing this to help me."

"I'm doing it because I know you don't want to be alone anymore. I know you weren't lying when you said you started to feel loneliness," she said sympathetically.

Nos-4-A2 knew she was right. When he first spent time with her, he enjoyed having someone to laugh with and someone who cared about him...and he didn't want it to end.

"I...I know I won't remember this, but I wish to thank you now," he said sincerely. "For wanting to give me a new purpose."

"Of course," she nodded, giving him the smile he once saw when he lied to her when he said he was going to change. Only this time, he was telling the truth...

"I not only thank you for giving me another chance, but for forgiving me as well..." he added, feeling hurt from thinking all that he had done to her.

Rosela nodded, then she knew he was weakening by the second, so she gently held him in her arms, providing him comfort to his gratitude...which made him want to make one gesture before his memories were wiped clean. He put his right hand on her left shoulder to her surprise as he leaned upwards to embrace her.

"Do not worry," he assured. "This is only an affection from a friend, nothing more."

Rosela grinned as she gently embraced him back, very pleased by his choice and his new feelings for peace. Although, despite his honesty when he said he was hugging her out of friendship, he still relished to be touched by the woman he once loved.

...And the fact he had loved her made his right optic leak as he released her.

To her astonishment, she saw him shedding tears as he had his optics closed. "You're crying."

He was quiet for a moment, not sure if he should share what was on his mind...but he couldn't help but say it, anyway.

"That's because...I envy the man you love."

" _He's jealous of Ty..._ "

"He...succeeded in earning your love...where as I failed miserably... I still accept that you prefer him. He is organic and you'd prefer to live alongside him and die when he dies...so you can be with him forever in this Heaven that you so strongly believe in... I...just wish I was him..."

He couldn't help but cry because Ranger Parsec had everything that he wanted so badly... " _But the fact is: I can't have her... It doesn't matter now. My memories will be deleted, anyhow._ "

He held the emerald necklace in his right hand. "I found the gem in a mine on a planet far away and I carved it to look like a star to remind us of how we met in space."

Then he crushed the jewel into pieces that he let fall onto the ground. "But now it's nothing but a bad reminder of the nightmare I had made you endure..."

Rosela knew just how bad he felt about all of this. She held his right hand and smiled nicely at him. His face softened as he smiled gratefully, though the guilt still made tears fall out of his right eye.

"I know you've forgiven me already, but I...deeply appologize for everything," he said, his voice growing weaker. "I...wish I had accepted your offer of friendship when you were on my vessel so that none of this had happened."

"It'll be okay. You'll forget all that happened and at the same time, so will everyone else."

"I hope so... My only regret will be that I won't remember what you wanted to do for me..."

"But I'll still give you my friendship when you're fixed up and so will my friends."

Nos-4-A2 didn't mind that all, but a part of of him was very sad that he wouldn't remember the first person who wanted to be his friend.

" _But...she'll still be my friend when I'm re-created... I should be grateful for that... I hope when I do get to know her again, I'll only see her as a friend and nothing more,_ " he thought as he gently gripped her hand.

"I...do give you and your lover my best wishes," he said sincerely, giving Rosela and Ty his blessing to her gratitude as she gently embraced him, making him grin softly as he enjoyed her touch one last time...

Then she felt his grip on her hand weakening as Nos-4-A2 hung limp. She put her right hand behind his head that she tilted forward to see he had lost power.

Rosela almost cried that her new friend had already lost all consciousness...but she stopped the tears from coming.

" _We'll get him to the LGMs. He'll be all right._ "

She held him close as she reached her left hand to wipe the tears off his face before she whispered kindly, "I won't quit on you..."


	18. Restored & Reborn

**Chapter 18: Restored & Reborn**

Ty and the others arrived to see to their shock their former enemy broken and powered down, and all because he wanted to protect Rosela. Not only that, Rosela told them that he had chosen to forget who he is and be re-created into a new bot.

Mira, Booster and X.R thought that that was a splendid idea because if he forgets everything he did and that he couldn't feast on robots anymore, he'd be completely harmless, so that meant there was no need to send him to prison at all.

Buzz would have liked to think about it that way, but he pointed out how unhappy their fellow Rangers would feel about a once-deadly robot on Star Command.

X.R pointed out that his big brother X.L almost helped Nos-4-A2 destroy the cosmos but he changed ways and helped everyone, so Nos-4-A2 could be accepted, especially if he wanted to forget everything about himself.

Buzz thought some more and had an idea to make it work. First, they secretly brought the powerless Nos-4-A2 to Team Lightyear's star cruiser 42 where Buzz made a call to Commander Nebula whom he informed about all that happened including how Nos-4-A2 saved Rosela's life and requested to have all of his memories erased so Zurg could never find him.

The commander was reluctant to keep a robot of Zurg's that would only bring back unsettling memories for everyone, but Buzz suggested that perhaps no one had to know that a new robot was once Nos-4-A2. Why tell anybody when his memories are going to be deleted, anyway?

If Nos-4-A2 was re-made, he'd no longer be a threat and the universe would have one less villain to cause mayhem and no one would be upset about the past.

The commander was still unsure of having Zurg's weapon around, but Buzz did remind him that he spared everyone's lives and saved Rosela's, so the former villain deserved a 2nd chance. Commander Nebula's arm was finally twisted, so he asked the LGMs if they could re-program Nos-4-A2 which they agreed to.

Team Lightyear helped Rosela carry Nos-4-A2 to the LGMs' lab where the little guys immediately got to work repairing and making blueprints for his new appearance. The green scientists said that it would take a week to rebuild him because there was a lot of work to be done to help him.

Rosela and her friends left the lab to let the LGMs work. The rest of Star Command were deeply joyous to see Rosela safe and alive again, believing Nos-4-A2 was gone for good. At least that's what Rosela and the gang made them think so that no one would be angry about having the new and improved bot on the space station.

The Rangers celebrated Rosela's return, making her unconditionally happy to be with her friends again. A while later, Rosela took Ty's right hand and led him to the storage room where she knew they would be by themselves.

Ty remembered that this was where they had told each other their feelings. It was also where he cried with a broken heart when he thought Rosela had died, taken from him forever, but now here he was again with his girlfriend.

Rosela looked up at Ty whose right hand she kept holding, wondering why he was looking away in silence.

"Ty?"

Ty was brought out of his thoughts as he looked at their hands touching. "It's...almost too hard to believe that you're alive."

"Well, believe it 'cause I am," Rosela said softly with a smile.

Ty grinned as he held Rosela close, shedding tears of joy that Rosela was at his side again. Rosela wrapped her arms around him which made her remember when she had refused to be with the once-evil robot even when he threatened everyone's lives.

"...I'm sorry for scaring you back there."

"Huh?" he asked.

"I mean, I'm sorry that I had made a choice that could've gotten you guys killed back there," she clarified, sounding sad.

Ty didn't understand what she meant, then he knew she was talking about: She had refused to do what the lovesick vampire wanted, even if it meant being forced to surrender her friends' lives even though she didn't want that at all.

Ty grinned as he stroked his right hand in her hair. "Hey, it's okay. You were right to refuse his demands. You know if he had turned you into an energy vampire, it would've been a disaster to have two vampires causing chaos. Besides, it's not like you failed to save us. You talked sense into him and that's why he let us go and asked to have his memories erased."

"Actually... Yes, he wants to forget everything he did, but I had given him the idea of having his memories deleted."

"You gave him that idea?"

"You see, when I offered that we could bring him here to get fixed, he refused because he was afraid he might get out of control."

"With that? Feasting on robots? But the LGMs can make it he doesn't need energy to feed on energy anymore."

"He knew that, but that wasn't the problem..."

"Is it being with everyone on Star Command?"

"No, he was afraid of being near me because he didn't want me to be miserable."

Now Ty got it. Nos-4-A2 was terrified of himself because despite letting her go, he still loved her. "And that's why you suggested he could have all of his memories eradicated."

"Yes...he wanted me to be happy with you."

Ty was very astounded. Nos-4-A2 wanted so much for Rosela to be content that he agreed to let the LGMs derezz his memories?

" _Wow...he has learned what it means to do what's right for others, even if he can't have what he wants._ "

"Sounds like you really put an influence on him," Ty grinned. "You know, we were once set on destroying him, but thanks to you, we don't have to."

" _It is ironic,_ " Rosela thought to herself. " _At first, I would've preferred him destroyed because he was so dangerous but now I'm so relieved he'll have a better life and help people and make friends with everyone. Oh, I'm so relieved._ "

Rosela used to feel so angry with herself for failing to make friends with him when he used her as his pawn, but she was overjoyed that she did better with him.

" _But if he's getting a new apperance, he'll get a new name, too. That means, in a way, Nos-4-A2 will be gone forever..._ "

Even though she knew he decided to start over, it did feel like the friend she made was gone for good. She was feeling sad, but...

" _I should try to make the most of it. His memories will be dissipated, but he might sitll act like the friend who's finally starting to care about others. At least I hope he will._ "

Rosela wrapped her arms tighter around Ty, making him remember how she said she would die to protect him. At first, he wished she hadn't reduced herself to extremes, but he knew he would've done the same thing if he was her.

"Hey," she spoke, looking up at him, "How'd you guys find me in the first place?"

"Uh, well..." he started, wondering how to explain this. "You sort of clued me in."

"What?" she asked with wide eyes.

"What I mean is: when we all thought you were dead, Pro. Triffid called me to tell me that there was no trace of your body, so it made me think someone stole you from us. Then...I heard your voice calling to me. You were begging me to save you, then in my mind, I saw a planet of robots and a red palace where you were lying unconscious and that was it."

"You're saying you had a vision of me?"

"Well, it had to have been a vision, but it was like a feeling in my heart that told me you were alive."

"...Yeah, even though I was unconscious, my heart desperately called out to you. It's bizarre, but it's amazing, too." " _Then that proves just how strong our bond is..._ " Rosela thought. " _I'll keep that in mind, but..._ "

Rosela shed tears to Ty's confusion, but before he could ask her what was wrong, she said calmly, "Please...can we forget all the bad things that happened...and go back to how things used to be?" " _Because Nos-4-A2's not the only one who wants to forget it all._ "

Ty completely understood her desire and nodded. "Yeah, we can do that."

Rosela grinned gratefully, then she stood on her toes to gently kiss Ty who held her as they embraced for a long while, things going back just as they were before.

Ty then gently held Rosela like a partner in a tango dance, her hair dangling as they kept kissing.

Rosela put her left hand on his right cheek as she leaned up to kiss his left cheek, Ty closing his eyes as he gladly her do so.

When she stopped, he tilted her chin up to gently kiss her neck, Rosela gratefully accepting it because she wanted his touch to make her forget everything she had went through.

Then Ty held Rosela, his arms the perfect fortress in her opinion. He leaned his face in her hair whose soft texture he soaked in.

Rosela held him closer, her arms shaking which made Ty look to see how fearful she looked. He knew she was scared at the thought of something else coming between them or she wouldn't look like this.

Ty grinned as he stroked his left hand on top of her head. "Hey, it's all right. It's over. And remember, if, only if, something does try to separate us, we'll find each other. Just have your heart call out to me like it did today...and I'll find you and I'll save you," he said, meaning every word he said.

Rosela's left eye shed a tear as she smiled and nodded. "I don't doubt that."

* * *

A week went by, and the LGMs called for Rosela, Ty and Team Lightyear to come to the lab to see what they had done for Nos-4-A2 who laid on a lab table completely covered by a tarp.

"We worked all the details," one of the little guys happily announced. "He's been restored and reborn."

They pulled the tarp off to reveal what a different bot he was. He no longer wore a cape; his arms and chest were black; his hands blue, his fingers and shoulders not as razor sharp. As for his lower half, he had black metal legs. His head was still the same shape but his monocle was gone.

"May we present Cryogen, a bot re-designed to produce deep freezing abilities for unique combat. He remembers absolutely nothing about his villainous ways or anybody he met. The only memory we let him keep was..."

The LGMs twiddled their fingers and they looked at each other nervously.

"Well, we thought it'd be good if we remembered only one small thing. You see, we did erase all of his memories of Rosela but he does remember saving a female Ranger's life and he only knows her as a Ranger he rescued, nothing more."

Rosela was quietly astonished to hear that he still has that one small piece of memory of saving her life...

" _That means he remembers having a friend..._ "

The LGMs activated him, Rosela staying close so he would see the very person he befriended. His optics opened to reveal his ice-blue eyes. He looked around, feeling understandably confused about where he was and what happened to him.

He sat up as he kept looking around, then he noticed Rosela whom he recognized.

"You... I remember you... You nearly got impaled by that flying rubble, but I saved you."

"You did," Rosela confirmed, smiling warmly at him.

"You...also called for help to bring me someplace I could be repaired."

"Yes, I did."

"Where are we?"

"You're on Star Command, and these are the scientists who helped you, the LGMs," Rosela said, introducing the green guys who smiled at Cryogen.

"Oh, did they? Then my give you deepest gratitude," Cryogen said, dipping his head, his left hand on his black chest.

"And these are my friends who helped bring you here," Rosela went on, turning to her fellow Rangers. "Buzz Lightyear, Mira, Nova, Booster Munchabber, and..."

Rosela stopped when she couldn't see X.R who hid behind Booster who gently pushed the little bot to the front, X.R smiling nervously as he waved at Cryogen who didn't recognize the experimental Ranger at all to X.R's amazement and sweet relief.

"...And X.R," Rosela grinned, then she looked at her beau. "And that's my partner and boyfriend Ty Parsec."

Rosela paid close attention to Cryogen's reaction to the sound of boyfriend, but he didn't seem angry or sad about it in the least. He just grinned politely and dipped his head again.

"And you all have my thanks as well and you also..." he stopped when he had a confused look when he couldn't think of her name, which told Rosela he really didn't know who she was anymore.

"My name is Rosela."

"Rosela," he repeated, smiling nicely at her. "I appreciate everything you've done. I am Cryogen and I am in your debt."

The Rangers were completely amazed. He acutally thought Cryogen has always been his name and he believed that he was never anyone's enemy.

"Hey, we wanted to help you," Buzz said with his usual smile. "You saved Rosela, so that makes you our friend. That's all we ask."

Cryogen accepted unhesitantly. Rosela and Ty offered to show him around Star Command as Buzz and the guys commented on how totally different he was. It was him, but it wasn't him. No signs of any violence or aggression. He was just a robotic gentleman.

The six Rangers agreed to let everyone on Star Command think he was just a bot they happened to have found and not let them ever find out he used to be the vampire who caused harm more than once.

* * *

Rosela and Ty had finished giving Cryogen the grand tour of Star Command, the new bot impressed with everything he saw.

"You Rangers are outstanding people," he complimented.

"Thank you, Cryogen," Rosela replied.

"Hmm...but something..." Cryogen said as he looked at his hands. "...I don't know. I'm perfectly functioning again...but something about my programming feels much different, but I don't remember."

Ty and Rosela looked at each other, feeling a bit worried about how to explain this.

"Although...I do recall...that I was very unhappy with myself. What that is, I still don't know... Do I want to know?" he asked.

Rosela had an easy answer for that. "No, Cryogen, you don't. Believe me, you'd be much happier not knowing." " _And so would we all._ "

"I see... Then I shall ask no more questions."

Ty sighed in relief, glad that nothing would be complicated. More than anything, he liked how Cryogen was treating Rosela. He wasn't obsessed with her at all. He was treating her as a friend and nothing else. Not only her, but he was treating everybody else nicely, too.

* * *

Later that day, Cryogen was walking through Star Command on his own, greeting everyone he met. So far, he thought all of the Rangers were good people.

He especially liked Rosela, Ty and Team Lightyear. At first he wondered what made X.R feel a little nervous, but Cryogen decided that it was probably nothing.

The two he liked the most were Ty and Rosela. They treated him so nicely, making him feel like he had been friends with them for a long time.

When he thought some more about Rosela whom he saved...he remembered how very sad he felt for some reason.

" _Why would I feel so depressed? I saved her which I know I was grateful for and she and her fellow Rangers aided me...so what was there to be mournful about? Rosela says I'm better off not knowing and I believe she is right... Still, it's thinking about Rosela... I desired to save her...but my desire felt so strong...but why? I didn't know her before I came to Star Command. ...Perhaps...I thought she was a friend worth protecting._ "

He grinned when he also remembered how much she wanted to help him get fixed.

" _And I suppose she thought I was a friend worth helping as well... I do owe her the most._ "

Cryogen stopped when he saw Rosela walking with her back to him. She stopped when she heard footsteps and she looked to see Cryogen smiling at her.

"Oh, hi, Cryogen," Rosela greeted. "Enjoying your walk?"

"Yes. And, if I may ask, what were you doing?" he asked, his hands behind his back.

"I was just walking myself. Would you like to join me?"

Cryogen nodded and walked beside her.

"So, do you like it here?" Rosela asked curiously, making conversation.

"Yes, you Rangers know how to make a bot feel welcome."

"Everyone seems to like you, too. They say they're looking forward to working with you, especially my friends and me."

"And I with all of you..." Cryogen was silent for a moment to Rosela's notice.

"Something wrong?"

"No...but...I can't stop thinking how much you wanted to help me. You didn't know who I was and you cared for me like we were old friends."

Rosela smiled softly, glad that he remembered being cared for. "Well, I wanted to help you because I want us to be friends because I knew you were a good bot." " _And I mean that._ "

Cryogen grinned. "I'm pleased you feel that way and I hope we will be good friends."

" _Oh, don't you worry, Cryogen, we will. You'll be surrounded by many friends._ "

From that moment on, Cryogen proved himself to be a good friend and ally, his ice-powers providing great assistance to the Rangers many times.

X.R and X.L finally felt safe around Cryogen who got along with the two bots and got to know Team Lightyear, Ty and Rosela very well.

Cryogen sometimes felt there was something about Rosela that made him feel like she had done more for him than just bring him to Star Command to get fixed. He would've asked her...but he reminded himself that there used to be something in his programming that made his life...wretched and...lonely.

That was why he could never ask Rosela or anyone else what had happened to him before he came to Star Command or else he might learn things too horrible.

He thought that he ought to just leave things well enough alone and appreciate being where he is now.

One day, when he was walking through the halls, Rosela found him.

"Hi, Cryogen. Ty and the others and I were going to do something fun on Capital Planet? Would you like to join us?" Rosela asked with an inviting smile.

Cryogen grinned and nodded. "Why, of course."

* * *

 **Well, how was it? For those of you who have read the original story, I'm sorry if you don't like this ending, but this is what I felt like doing. For those of you who haven't read the original story, I hope it's satisfying enough. And as I've said on the first chapter, I hope you have a satisfying Valentine's Day.**

 **And as for the guest reviewer, I'm sorry I deleted some of your reviews, but I only deleted the ones you sent to chapters 18-25. And even though the story's changed, I still thank you for sending me ideas. Your support is always appreciated.**


	19. Different Lifestyles

**Chapter 19: Different Lifestyles**

Many months have passed since the Space Rangers' new friend Cryogen joined Star Command and things were finally normal again and Ty, Rosela and Team Lightyear happily returned to their usual routine.

And Rosela and Ty's relationship grew stronger every day. So strong that one calm day, Ty was sitting in the Rangers' lounge alone, staring out of the window, looking at the endless jeweled space as he thought hard about his long love for Rosela.

It was then that he asked himself if it was time to ask her the question.

He honestly didn't see why not. So far, in the many months they've known each other, there have been no complaints or arguments between them.

He believed that now is finally the right time.

The concept filled him with energy as he got on his feet and began walking around Star Command to figure out on how to arrange everything perfectly.

" _First, I should go down to Capital Planet and find a jewelry store to buy an..._ "

His thoughts were stopped when he could hear familiar voices behind a door he came across, the voices of Rosela and Mira.

"You think he wouldn't want the same life as you do?" Mira asked Rosela.

Ty knew that they were talking about him, but Mira's question made him concerned to the point of leaning his right ear close to the door to learn more.

"Well, he's never talked about being a father before," Rosela said.

Ty blinked in astonishment when he realized Rosela was hinting her obvious desire to have start a family...a desire he never knew she had until now.

He remained where he was to listen to the rest of the conversation.

"I don't think he dislikes kids, Rosela," Mira replied.

"Oh, I know he doesn't," Rosela confirmed, "...but does that mean he wants to have a son and daughter like I do?"

" _Just 2 kids?_ " Ty asked in his mind. " _Well, having 2 wouldn't be impossible._ "

"I don't see why he wouldn't," Mira answered honestly. "...Do you?"

 **[We look inside the room where Mira and Rosela are sitting across from each other at a silver metal table]**

Rosela played with her hands as she glanced away from her best friend.

"Well...lately, I have been thinking...of the fact that most of his life, he always wanted to be a Space Ranger... So, I'm pretty sure he never thought much of having a family of his own at all."

Rosela's confession hit Ty almost like a bolt of lightning. Not because he felt insulted...but because he knew she wasn't wrong.

It was true, for most of his life, his thoughts were mainly about becoming a Ranger...and hardly ever about having children.

" _Although I never thought much about falling in love, either,_ " he pointed out to himself.

But when Rosela came along, his world changed for the better in more ways than one.

So right there, he thought if having a woman in his life had given him many pleasant surprises, perhaps a couple of children wouldn't be any different.

As if Mira knew Ty was currently thinking those things, she said, "Well, he's never thought much about finding love in his life, either, until he got to know you."

"I suppose you're right," Rosela concurred, though she still didn't sound relieved. "But even if he doesn't disagree having kids... there's still the matter of how much time he'll spend with them."

"What do you mean?" Mira queried, most baffled by Rosela's concern.

"Well, I'm certain he would love his children...but wouldn't he still want to continue working as a Ranger? I mean, you know how busy we usually are, so even when I retire from Star Command and stay at home with the kids... would Ty be willing to do the same?"

Mira was just as astounded by Rosela's plans for her future as Ty was.

"You're...planning to retire?" Mira asked.

Rosela glanced at the floor as she explained. "Please don't misunderstand me, I do love working with all of you and I'm glad for all good I've done for people...but it's always been my heartfelt wish to settle down and have a family. I have no family, Mira..."

Rosela's voice sounded sorrowful as she went on. "That's why I want a family... because I'm lonely."

Mira grinned in sympathy as she completely understood her friend's desire.

Ty himself also began to get it. " _Of course she'd want a family since she doesn't have one... Wait, so that's why she wants to retire? To make sure her kids have their parents around?_ "

He recalled Rosela once telling him how her mother would work most of the time working because her father died before she was born.

" _Now I see...she doesn't want her kids to miss either of their parents..._ "

This also dawned on Mira. "Oh, so you don't want your kids to feel as lonely as you felt growing up."

"Exactly."

Mira looked away as she thought harder about Rosela's wishes for the children she hoped to have.

"...So, if Ty keeps going off on missions for Star Command, he wouldn't be home very much and you'd feel your kids would miss him a lot?" Mira guessed.

"That's right," Rosela nodded solemnly. "...Any children of mine deserve to see their parents every day...and I can't bear to see them heartbroken with their dad away so much... But I also can't break Ty's heart by asking him to give up his dream being a Space Ranger, either..." Rosela finished, her voice cracking a bit as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ty looked at the door, imagining Rosela's distress.

She continued speaking. "I know I shouldn't assume he'd sooner stay at Star Command than stay with his own family...but...I have to ask him what he wants in his life... And I want him to tell me what his heart will be in: Having adventures or settling down."

Rosela took me a deep breath as she tried to ease herself. "I don't want to take his dreams away from him if being a Ranger means that much to him. ...I won't judge or detest him if he decides staying here. He, as well as everyone else, has the freedom to do whatever he wants... To do something your heart isn't in is an injustice to yourself and I will not ask Ty to wrong himself just to make me happy...because I want him to be happy."

Ty looked at the door, listening hard to the sincerity in her voice.

"...So...if he chooses to keep working here instead of starting a new life on Capital Planet with you...then you'll let him go?" Mira asked very delicately.

Heavier tears escaped her green eyes before Rosela answered hushedly, "It's the right thing to do. I can't make him do what he doesn't want."

Ty knew right there he had to get away from the door, so without making a sound, he quickly walked away.

Then, subconsciously, his feet brought him to the storage room where he sat down on a crate.

His mind was in a whirl from what he had heard from the girls' conversation.

" _Rosela wants to know what I want to do: Start a family or stay on Star Command..._ "

Rosela said she wants him to do what his heart is in...

" _I have to think very hard about this._ "

Frankly, when he had thought about proposing to Rosela, he thought he and she would keep working as Rangers. Not forever, of course, but for several years.

" _Obviously, Rosela doesn't want to wait that long to have the son and daughter she's always wanted... Actually, now that I think about it...she's never really wanted to be a career girl._ "

He remembered a long time ago a little after he met Rosela that her reason for joining Star Command was mostly because she had a very difficult time making a living since her mother, the only relative she ever had, passed away.

Rosela and her mother always had financial problems and Rosela struggled even harder without her only parent.

She did have the assistance of her mother's childhood friend, a kind woman who owns a bakery in Rosela's hometown. Although she had offered Rosela a job, Rosela did politely decline the offer of living with her because she couldn't let go of the home that had so many good memories of her mother...

" _But when Buzz and the others found out her financial situation, Mira talked her into letting go of her house and work for Star Command. And Rosela agreed because there was nothing else she could do..._ "

Although, as Ty had heard a minute ago, Rosela still has her heart on finding a family man...

Ty leaned the back of his head against the wall as he deeply sighed.

" _And she'll only have kids with a family man alone..._ "

So, what was it going to be? He had hoped to have hundreds of memorable adventures but, though Rosela does cherish the many happy memories she had made and the friendship of her fellow Rangers, Ty's life is not her kind of life.

Ty glanced at the floor when he thought sympathetically, " _But of course she'd want a family, as lonely as she must have felt since her mother died..._ "

He was beginning to feel the exact pain of Rosela's lonesome life when she lost the only parent she had.

" _I also should have seen how much she loves kids. I've seen her hold a baby boy once on a quest we had once._ "

Ty remembered that day very well, when she held the tiny black-haired boy in her arms that she cradled him in, his bright happy smile making Rosela very happy herself.

" _How could I have not noticed her feelings about having children back then?_ " Crossing his arms, he looked at the ceiling. " _Well, Parsec, Rosela would want you to think very carefully...and honestly._ "

If he retires from being a Ranger, he would have to leave his adventurous days behind. He had been a Space Ranger for so long, he couldn't imagine letting it go so soon.

" _But if I stay where I'm at...Rosela will have to let go of me..._ "

And he couldn't imagine living without her, either. He had worked with her and spent so much time with her...it had become a favorable routine.

" _She won't ask me to go with her if I don't want to leave...and I can't make her stay if she really wants a new calm life on Capital Planet..._ "

Ty had to accept it: A family means more to her than anything in the universe...

" _She said she wouldn't dislike me for not feeling the same way... She said she'd understand...and I believe her..._ "

And yet a part of him felt guilty, for he had loved her for so long...and he's having a difficult time deciding between her and a dream.

" _...She said we all have different dreams; she says it's not a crime..._ "

Ty knows her words are correct, but he couldn't bear to make her feel so heartbroken if he decides to be a career man.

He groaned in distress as he covered his eyes.

" _I should have realized that she wants kids more than action. I should have realized before I fell in love with her...so that I wouldn't have to worry about breaking her heart..._ "

Suddenly, his own heart almost stopped when he heard a knock on the door.

At first he feared it was Rosela looking for him, but the voice he heard on the other side of the storage door belonged to someone else.

"Ty? Are you in there?" Cryogen called.

"Yeah, what'd you need?" Ty called back.

Cryogen let himself in as he answered, "Well, I had heard you were walking over here...looking troubled. So I wanted to ask what is wrong."

Ty was surprised that people have seen him distressed... " _How do I explain this?_ "

"Ty?" Cryogen asked, concerned about his silence.

"I...needed a place alone to think."

"About what?"

Ty didn't know why, but he thought telling someone would help get it off his chest, so he told Cryogen about the girls' conversation...

The ice-bot started to see the crisis Ty is in. "Ah, you feel, because both your lifestyles are different, you will go your separate ways..."

The blue-and-black robot looked at the floor as he thought about this.

"Do you really want to part from her like that?" Cryogen asked calmly. "I mean, the two of you have been together for quite some time..."

Cryogen's question rang in Ty's head. Does he really want to say goodbye to her...?

" _Of course I don't want to say goodbye..._ "

"Unless the life of a Ranger means more to you," Cryogen wondered.

Ty was taken aback by what he said.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean that in a judgmental way," Cryogen corrected. "I am only asking which do you have the biggest passion for: Rosela or being a Space Ranger?"

" _Which do I have the biggest passion for..._ "

He thought hard about his life before he met Rosela. When he became a Ranger, things felt accomplishing and exciting (not counting Buzz once thinking himself having to be Ty's rescuer).

Then he thought about Rosela. She was painfully shy when he first saw her but as he got to know her...he felt happier than usual; he laughed more, he felt more relaxed...

"Ty...is having a career better than love?" Cryogen asked quietly. Ty looked at his friend with blinking eyes. "I'm still not being judgmental...I just don't understand why a job is more wonderful than a woman's love. Yes, you are what they would call an adventure-seeker...but wouldn't you feel lonely if you have no one to share a dream with?"

Ty gave that some serious thought. Working alongside Rosela made his job as a Ranger more fun than he imagined. When he thought about Rosela no longer working with him...the dream was sounding empty and too quiet.

Then he started to think of what Rosela would do if she found another man who would give her what she wants.

Once Rosela finds another guy and moves on with her life, she'll forget all about her times with Ty and start something new with a family man. It would be like her and Ty's times together never happened at all...

Ty imagined Rosela holding a precious baby of hers in her arms...with a different man smiling at the child that would be him and Rosela's...

The thought of Rosela's children smiling at a father that isn't Ty hurt him... What also pained him was Rosela giving her loving smiles to another man...while her time with Ty would be erased from her mind completely.

Thinking about all of this was making a tear fight its way out of his right eye...

Cryogen could see this which made him put his left hand on Ty's right shoulder. "Are you beginning to see what I am saying?"

"...Yeah..."

"I may not be experienced in love, but to give it up so easily...wouldn't something be missing in your life?"

Ty didn't say it, but he couldn't help but notice the irony in Cryogen's words. When he was the villainous Nos-4-A2, he loved Rosela with a dangerous obsession...but Rosela helped him understand that love is about doing what's best for the person you care about...

" _And because she cares about me, she would let me go to let me have the liberty to keep my dream..._ " "Cryogen, do you know where Rosela is right now?"

Cryogen wondered what Ty's decision is...but when he couldn't see regretfulness on his expression, the black-and-blue robot answered with a small grin, "I believe I saw her walking with Mira to meet our friends at the launchpad."

"Thanks," Ty said as he exited, Cryogen watching him leave with satisfaction on his blue face.

"...There is no need to fear your future, Rosela," Cryogen murmured. "Because Ty desires to be in it."

Ty wasted no time making his way to the launchpad where he scanned the area for her, but he couldn't see her anywhere. He saw a handful of LGMs who were currently working on a ship that needed repairs.

"Hey, guys? You haven't seen Rosela in here, have you?"

"Yes. She went with Team Lightyear to eat at Cosmo's."

Ty didn't expect Rosela to go out to eat...but he still needed to speak with her... But first, there was something he needed.

* * *

Rosela had wanted to calm and relax herself after shedding tears at Star Command and hang out with her friends. Thankfully she had managed to keep Buzz and the guys from knowing what was making her sad.

They all arrived at the intergalactic diner where Rosela was beginning to feel easier.

Although, since all the tables had space enough for four people, Rosela sat a table alone in front of her friends' table. Actually, she would usually share a table with Ty whenever they would come here with their friends.

" _...I wonder...even though I still want to get along with him...could we still be comfortable with each other if he says he wants...to keep living this life...?_ "

She forced herself not to think any more on the topic or else crying in front of others.

She looked out the window to look at the stars like she always did whenever she would come here.

Stargazing is always a comfort for her. Then...all of a sudden, a Ranger's ship came into view...

" _That's Ty's ship!_ "

Rosela looked at the table in front of her, her eyes looking left and right as her panicked heart begged her for a moment to find a way out.

But Rosela found herself staying right where she was, keeping gaze on the table, waiting in suspense for Ty to step inside.

" _I used to be dying for his presence...and now I fear the sight of him..._ "

When he did step in, he found Rosela sitting alone, not looking up to greet him which he knew why judging by the anguish in her emerald eyes.

Ty took a deep breath as he gathered his resolve before he quietly made his way to her.

Mira was shocked when she noticed Ty. She glanced at Rosela, afraid of how uncomfortable her best friend is.

Ty stood at Rosela's table, trying to be casual as he said with a grin, "Hi, Rosela."

"Hi, Ty," Rosela greeted, forcing herself to look up to give him a small grin and wave.

"Hey, listen...I need you for something. Can you come with me for a minute?" he asked, indicating his left thumb to the hall outside.

Rosela wondered what he needed her assistance for, so she followed him to the hall with Buzz and the guys watching in curiosity and Mira in painful apprehension.

"Oh, I think he's finally gonna ask her," X.R gushed, pumping his fists like he was shaking pom-poms.

"Ask her what...?" Booster began to ask, but then he quickly saw what X.R was getting at. "Oh! You mean, the big question," the gentle red giant said in glee.

"What's that you say?" Cosmo, the cook from behind the counter. "Ty is going to pop the question?"

"We got a good hunch," X.R confirmed.

Mira's heart almost stopped. Ty is going to...propose?

" _Oh, no. If he asks her to marry him and continue working with him as a Ranger, Rosela's going to feel really bad when she says no._ "

"Ooh, this I must see," Cosmo said in excitement as he went to stand at the hallway arch with Sally the waitress following along with the customers who were all very yearning to hear Ty talk to Rosela.

The regulars of the diner have known Ty and Rosela for a long while and have always rooted for the two as well as everyone on Star Command. In fact, Booster and X.R themselves stood with everybody.

"Whoa, hold on, everyone," Buzz said, not feeling it right for Ty and Rosela to be spied on. "They wouldn't appreciate..."

But too late, they were all standing at the arch, intent on staying right where they are to witness a magical moment.

Buzz sighed as he looked at Mira before he grinned and shrugged. "Well, if you can't beat them, join them," he pronounced quietly as he stood up to stand with the others.

Mira herself didn't like any of this. She knew Rosela and Ty would have felt embarrassed if everyone listened to their farewells...

Mira played with her hands as she looked out the window, her mind in a whirl, helpless to stop their eavesdropping. All she could do now was hope that Ty would want what Rosela wants. That way, there would be no disappointments or awkwardness...

When Ty brought Rosela 15 steps away from the dining area, he stopped to Rosela's confusion.

To answer her silent question, Ty explained himself. "I need to talk to you... about... Well, you see, I heard your conversation with Mira minutes ago," he confessed.

Rosela's heart almost stopped. He heard everything she said?!

"Hey, don't worry, I'm not mad," Ty assured.

Rosela believed him, but she moved her eyes away from his, almost too afraid to go through whatever this is going.

" _Let him speak,_ " she insisted herself. " _Let him speak his heart before...you have to take your heart back from him..._ "

Ty knew she's expecting the worst, so he went on. "First, I want to say thanks for being fair and sensitive at wanting to let me do whatever I want... And... I have thought very seriously about what I want in my life as you would have asked me to."

Rosela gripped her left hand on her hip, fighting back the tears with all of her might.

"It's true I never thought much of having kids like you do...and I did think you and I would keep working together... But obviously you have your heart set on having kids of your own...and you want them to have their parents to be there for them."

"...I do..." Rosela replied quietly, keeping her gaze away from his. " _I don't want them to be lonely like I was before I came to Star Command._ "

Ty grinned in understanding. "I know you want what's best for any children of yours... And you deserve the best man to help you have what you want."

"...Thank you." " _Please, Ty,_ " she implored in her head, her heart not being able to bear the suspense. " _Just tell me you can't be a family man..._ "

Ty glanced at her left hand that was starting to tremble which helped him see her heart was in agony.

" _Get to the point, Parsec_ " he berated himself. "And any children of _yours_ would be wonderful..."

"... Thanks."

"...So...can I have the honor of being the dad?"

Rosela was completely taken aback as she found herself looking right at him. Was she hearing things or did he really just ask to be the father of her offspring?

"Of course I'd have to be your husband first..." he continued as he digged in his left pocket to pull out a small velvet box which was confirming that she had heard him correctly.

"I've given it a lot of thought like I said... Yes, I once thought I'd be a Space Ranger for a long time...but that was before I found out what love is... I can't enjoy being a Ranger or doing anything else without you..."

The dread that had overflowed inside Rosela was instantly replaced with exultation.

" _Oh, please let this be a dream come true and not just a dream alone._ "

"I'm willing to start a new life with you on Capital Planet...because you're the new dream I can't give up..."

Ty opened the box to reveal the very thing that proved her hunch.

" _An engagement ring!_ " Rosela covered her mouth as her eyes let out tears.

" _She's crying? Is she against marrying even after what I said?_ "

Then Rosela wiped her eyes as she started laughing softly.

For a second, Ty was worried she was laughing at him...but then his instincts began to tell him otherwise when she looked at him with the same gentle smile he's always seen.

"I'm glad you have no regrets...or else you wouldn't show me that..."

Ty knew without a doubt she was saying yes. Before he knew it, she almost tackled him in a big hug.

"I'll...make sure you never regret it," she promised, holding him tighter.

Ty smiled warmly as he held her. "I know."

Rosela gently released him before he slipped the ring on her.

They looked at each other, and just when they were thinking about kissing, they heard an applause from the dining area.

The lovers looked to see that all of their friends clapping their hands and cheering, Ty and Rosela staring in utter shock.

"How long were you all...?" Ty began to ask, but he couldn't finish his question, Cosmo cried with joy as he shook Ty's left hand.

"This is a happy day!"

Sally came up to give Rosela a hug. "It's about time. We've been waiting ages for you to decide to tie the knot."

Cosmo let go of Ty's hand as he wiped his joyful tears. "This calls for a celebration. Drinks are on the house."

Everybody cheered again as they gently pushed the engaged couple in the dining area where they saw that Booster, X.R and even Buzz had been standing where the others were watching Ty proposing to Rosela.

"You guys, too?" Ty grinned, his hands on his hips in a lecturing manner. "I mean, I can predict you two eavesdropping," Ty said to X.R and Booster before he spoke to Buzz, "But you?"

"Hey, I wasn't the first one to listen in on you both and I tried asking everyone not to spy, but I was overruled," Buzz explained with a calm smile.

"Oh, so then, if you couldn't stop them, you thought you might as well join them?" Ty smirked, his arms folded.

While the boys kept talking, Mira stood up from her seat to stand beside Rosela whose shoulders Mira touched.

"Looks like you don't have to let go of Ty, after all," Mira said quietly with a grin, Rosela grinning back.

"...I still can't believe he wants to come with me to Capital Planet."

"Only a real man in love would understand your dream for a family."

" _And I'll always feel like the luckiest woman knowing that._ "

* * *

 **Surprise! Lately, I've been thinking about concluding this story about Ty and Rosela's union. I mean, I just think this fanfic wouldn't be complete without a wedding. And if any of you guys have ideas of what kind of wedding it ought to be, please give me some tips.**

 **Such as, what kind of ceremonial clothes would look best on the lovebirds? And what kind of wedding cake should there be?**

 **Well, until then, I'll see y'all on the next and final chapter! God Jehovah bless.**


	20. Give Your Lady Some Love

**Chapter 20: Give Your Lady Some Love**

Preparations for Ty and Rosela's wedding took a few months. They planned to hold the ceremony at a church at the Alliance Plaza. Ty asked Buzz to be his best man and Rosela asked Mira to be her Maid of honor.

Ty went with Rosela to the suburbs one day in search of a proper love nest. After a few tries, they found a fairly decent and spacious 2-story kanal home with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large backyard.

A week before the big day, Rosela and Mira went to the mall near the Alliance Plaza to look for the perfect gowns for the wedding.

When they succeeded, they sat on the patio of a cafe to relax and rest their feet.

"I wonder how Ty and Buzz are doing with their search for tuxedos," Rosela thought aloud before she sipped her bottle of cola.

"I'm sure Buzz will find the best ones. He's worn tuxedos every now and then," Mira assured as she swirled a spoon in her coffee.

"He has worn them more than Ty has. It'll be very interesting to see him in one for the first time next week," Rosela grinned which made Mira grin, too.

"He'll probably make that first time wearing one the last time."

"You may be right. I know it'll be the first and last time I'll wear that wedding gown. For you and our friends have hardly ever seen me in any dress," Rosela joked which made both the girls laugh.

"Well, hey, I, of all people, could never judge you for that. I'm a princess and yet everybody has rarely seen me in any dress ever since I joined Star Command."

"Even a princess can be tomboyish if that makes her comfortable."

Mira grinned in gratitude for her friend's understanding. When the royal Tangian thought about Rosela's upcoming marriage, Mira realized the only female friend she's ever had in Star Command will be gone.

Rosela could see the glum look on her friend's face. "What's the matter, Mira?"

"Well, it's just... Now don't get me wrong, I am very happy that you're going to live with the man you love...but I am going to miss having another girl to talk to."

Rosela smiled softly as her right hand to touch Mira's left arm. "So will I. I mean, you're the first girl I've made friends with who's the same age as me... I hope you won't feel too lonely."

"Nah, I was used to be surrounded by only boys before, I can get used to it again. Besides, there's no such thing as enui with Buzz and the guys around."

"I hear that," Rosela agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm gonna miss them like crazy, too."

"Well, don't worry too much about us. We just hope you and Ty enjoy your new lives together," Mira said sincerely as her right hand held Rosela's.

Rosela looked at the table as she softly replied, "So do I. ...I mean, I hope he doesn't detest the domestic life."

Mira knew Rosela meant that Ty had been so accustomed to an action-man's life that Rosela is concerned Ty might have regrets.

"Hey, Ty knows how much having a peaceful, steady life with a family means to you. And if he truly wasn't ready to retire Star Command to settle down, would he have asked for your hand that has his ring on it?" Mira queried, indicating her left finger on the engagement ring Rosela was wearing.

Rosela held her right hand in front of her face to stare at the ring as she fully took in Mira's words.

"...He was serious when he proposed."

* * *

While the girls did some dress-shopping, Ty and Buzz went to look for the perfect tuxedos.

Buzz found a nice black tux and convinced Ty to try on a white tux.

Ty tried it on, Buzz nodding his head in approval.

"Oh, yes, I tell you, Ty, this is you," Buzz insisted calmly with a smile as he smoothened out the wrinkles on Ty's shoulders. "Take it from me, Rosela will be utterly amazed."

"Well, it does look great," Ty admitted before he tucked the collar-flaps of the white tux, "even though I'm not used to wearing these kind of things."

"Oh, well, Rosela's not used to wearing dresses, either," Buzz put in as he helped Ty feel comfortable around the tux's collar. "But she's still planning to wear one. And I'll bet she'll look as good as you, too."

"I don't doubt that," Ty grinned. Although, Ty was starting to have other doubts...about himself.

"What's wrong?" Buzz asked concernedly.

"Ah... I guess I'm a bit worried."

"About...?"

"About being...the family man she needs me to be. I mean, I don't want to do a lousy job as a father to any kids we'll have."

"Oh, hey, you are gonna be a great dad."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, you have parents. If you have questions on how to bring up your children right, you can always ask your mother and father for pointers. After all, they brought you up right."

Ty didn't disagree with that statement, but there was something else he was concerned about. "Yeah, but...what if, someday we do have kids, what if they don't like me?"

"Oh, that's the most absurd thing I've ever heard," Buzz dismissed with a reassuring grin. "I mean, Rosela likes you, doesn't she?"

"Well, yes, but a woman's love and a kid's love are different."

"True, but still, you have friends who like you, right?"

"Yeah, but it's easy being friends with people my age than with someone 20 years younger than you."

"Well, then, you just need to follow Rosela's lead. You've seen how kids feel very comfortable around her."

Ty has seen the way Rosela makes children happy, being gentle with them and making them laugh, the qualities that could earn anyone's friendship, young or old.

"And if Rosela can do it, you can do it."

Although Ty was still a little unsure, he reminded himself that he was willing to grant her wish for a loving man to be the father of her children.

" _And I did say any kids of hers would be the great... And I meant it with all my being._ "

* * *

For what both felt like a day and a year, the week finally ended and the wedding came.

The weather on that couldn't have been better for the two young, retired Space Rangers' marriage.

And everything else was perfect. The eager guests have arrived; the romantic rose cascade, chocolate red velvet-filled wedding cake, and the bride and groom were currently getting dressed.

Buzz knocked on Ty's dressing room door. "Ty, how are you doing in there?"

"Come in and see for yourself," Ty called.

Buzz obliged, seeing Ty just finishing fixing his black bow tie.

Ty looked up at his best man with a grin on his tanned face as he motioned his arms to the white tuxedo he had on.

"Well?"

"You look even better than you did when you tried it on at the store," Buzz approved. "And you even tied your bow tie in a perfect knot."

"I've practiced."

"Now you just have another and even more important knot to tie, Ty," Buzz winked, giving Ty's left shoulder a gentle brotherly punch.

Rosela was currently straightening the hem of her anna sorrano gown before she looked at herself in the full length mirror on the wall, checking to see that everything was flawless.

Then she picked up her bouquet of red roses and walked to the spot near the altar where Cryogen was waiting for her.

The ice bot had on a blue-and-black tuxedo with an ice-blue tie.

"Well, look at the blushing bride," Cryogen pronounced calmly as Rosela came up to him. "Ty's jaw is going to fall on the floor when he sees you."

"I appreciate the compliment. And I also appreciate you agreeing to give me away."

Rosela had no father to give her away and she thought about the one fellow whom she wanted to have a part in the wedding.

"Well, anything for a dear friend," Cryogen smiled. "Though, not that I am not honored, I still wonder why you would ask me to have this particular role in your wedlock."

The reason was because, even though he'll never know it, Rosela still wanted to remember him as the bot who, before his memories he willingly wanted erased, had the change of heart to let her be with the man she truly loved.

That's why she chose Cryogen to be the one to give her away, so that she can always remember him as the friend whom she helped understand what friendship and decency is.

The only answer she could give Cryogen was, "You're a dear friend to me, too. And I want that same friend to have this particular role in this wedding."

Cryogen blinked in slight surprise at her answer. Then a smile slowly grew on his blue face.

"Then that makes my part in this even more honorable." Then she saw a flash of depression on him.

"What is it?" she queried softly.

"...It's just going to feel so different without you and Ty on Star Command," he confessed. "You were first friends I made since I joined with the Space Rangers."

It sincerely warmed her heart that Cryogen also cared for Ty as a best friend. It also made Rosela feel sympathetic that Cryogen would feel lonesome without the two of them around so much.

"Hey, just 'cause we're retiring, it's not like we're moving to another part of the galaxy. Capital Planet is right beside Star Command and whenever we and you have the time, we can see each other."

Rosela held her friend's left hand as she added, "And you still have plenty of other friends on Star Command. So it's not like you'll be all alone."

Cryogen took her words into consideration as he smiled and nodded. "Of course."

When they heard the song "Here Comes the Bride", the ice bot grinned as he said, "That's our cue."

Rosela nodded with a soft smile as she wrapped her right arm around his left arm as the two of them stood at the edge of the altar, the guests turning their heads to see the two friends walking up to the end of the altar where Ty and Buzz and Mira and the President of Capital Planet were at.

Ty was in awe of Rosela's glow that beamed even brighter than usual today. His admiration made her smile bashfully as she glanced at the floor in front of her.

When she and Cryogen came to the destination, she smiled gratefully at her blue-and-black robot friend who nodded a "you're welcome" at her before he brought her hand that he gave to Ty who gently pulled her to stand next to him.

The President cleared her throat before she announced loudly and proudly, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness two of Star Command's Rangers who started out as good friends and partners to sweethearts.

"Ty, do you promise to honor and love and keep this sweet girl as with you as your lawfully wedded wife forever and always?"

"I do," Ty nodded wholeheartedly.

"And do you, Rosela, take this fine gentleman as your man and so on and so forth?"

"Definitely," Rosela answered with calm confidence which made Ty smile at her.

"Then by the power vested in me, I name you hubby and wife. Go on, Ty, give your lady some love."

Ty didn't need to be told twice as he swiftly picked her up in his arms, spun around with her as Rosela laughed before her husband kissed which she gladly returned as she cupped his left cheek.

Their friends cheered for them before they cut the cake and danced the day away.

Rosela was dancing with Mira as Ty sat by a table to rest his feet a bit, grinning as he admired his wife's rosy locks swishing in the air as she danced.

When everyone was feeling a bit exhausted from all the partying, the newly weds decided it was time for them to head to their love nest.

With smiles and some tears, Ty and Rosela bid farewell to their beloved friends/colleagues and walked to their house, basking in the sunset on the way.

Once they came home, they slipped into night-clothes (Rosela in pink silk night-clothes and Ty in dark-blue cotton night-clothes) before they sat down in their bedroom to put pictures of the wedding in a gold-colored album.

Rosela laughed as she showed Ty a picture of Booster and X.R and X.L sitting in front of the altar, the Jo'Adian releasing a heavy shower of joyful tears that landed on the bot brothers who frowned as X.R handed a box of tissues to Booster.

"Good thing X.R had a box of tissues to give him or he and X.L would have been rusted solid," Ty grinned.

"If X.R and X.L thought they were the ones who felt the most embarrassed, they're so mistaken because look how they humiliated poor Cryogen," Rosela put in.

She showed her husband another photo of the bot brothers throwing rice at the bride and groom, the tiny white grains accidentally landing on Cryogen whose arms were crossed as he glared at the little robots with a great annoyance.

"At least rice won't make him rust," Ty said, "unlike tears." With a curious expression, he queried, "Speaking of Cryogen, not that I was against it at all, but why did you ask him to give you away again?"

Rosela smiled. "Because...remember on Immenstropolis where he opened his eyes and let me be with you? Well, despite his memories being erased, I want to keep remembering him as the friend who finally found the decency to want me to be happy."

Now Ty understood. " _Rosela tried hard many times to get through to him, but her last time was her hardest and her best try. Who would have thought anyone at all could help him have a heart?_ "

"...You know...he told me that he was going to feel lonely without us around," Rosela added with sympathetic eyes.

That sort of amazed Ty. Before the bot changed so much, he was ready to get rid of Ty and keep Rosela all to himself. Now Cryogen cherishes them as his closet friends.

"Hey, he'll be all right," Ty comforted his wife, his right hand on her back. "Buzz and everybody will look out for him for us."

"I know."

After they put the wedding pictures in the album, Ty and Rosela sat in front of their balcony's glass door to admire the full moon outside.

Ty slowly had Rosela's head lean on his left shoulder which she willingly complied to.

She still couldn't believe that she had a husband. " _My dreams of love have realized at long last._ "

Ty looked at the moon and the stars which to him felt strange stargazing from here down on Capital Planet instead on Star Command.

He knew he had just made many changes in his new life with Rosela, but he regretted nothing. A life without a woman's love was no life at all.

Ty smiled lovingly at his true love as he gently tilted her chin upwards to kiss her neck thoroughly which made her smile in sweet euphoria.

Right there, he hoped with all his heart that he could give Rosela everything else she wanted in this new life.

When he stopped kissing her neck, he could see how sleepy she was from today and from his necking. So he carefully swept her in his arms and put her on their bed.

After he climbed in bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her, his wife buried her face in his chest which made him hold her closer.

" _After everything we've been through, we're finally together_ ," Rosela thought joyfully.

When Nos-4-A2 was obsessed with her, there were times when she wondered if her love-life with Ty would truly happen.

" _Our fears have ended and now we can finally move on with our new lives..._ "

Rosela moved her face to kiss his neck, too, as she held his face, her husband smiling blissfully as he combed his right fingers in her red hair.

Then, when she was done, he gently moved her upwards before his lips met hers.

* * *

 **TEN YEARS LATER**

We see a hospital room where Rosela was sitting in a bed, her face drenched in sweat as she breathed multiple times as her husband Ty held her right hand and coached her.

Outside of the hospital room, their oldest children Evangeline "Eva" (age 9) and Ty Junior "T.J" (age 6) were waiting until the doctor could say they can come in and meet their new sibling.

Eva was a spitting image of her mother and T.J had his father's tanned skin and dark eyes and his mom's face.

Even though Ty and Rosela had agreed to have a son and daughter, they started to desire another child a year ago.

Eva and T.J had no objections about it and eagerly waited.

Rosela made the final push until she heard the crying of the new baby. The 3rd-time parents smiled victoriously at each other before the doctor handed them the tiny baby girl who had her dad's chocolate brown hair and her mother's emerald eyes.

"Doctor, could you please bring in our children?" Rosela requested.

Eva and T.J were let inside so they could see their baby sister.

"Kids, meet Katherine. Kitten for short."

The eldest children stared at the brunette and instantly loved her.

"She's as cute as a kitten," Eva commented.

After 2 days, the Parsecs returned home with their new addition. The slumbering Kitten was in her crib in the nursery with her big sister and brother watching her with adoration in their eyes.

"Eva and T.J can't stop looking at her," Ty said as he chopped vegetables, his wife stirring a stew in the pot.

"Well, she is precious." Rosela's eyes glimmered from nostalgia. "You remember when we brought home Eva and T.J when they were newborns?"

Ty smiled fondly. "I sure do. Those days don't seem very long ago. So, are we satisfied with being the parents of three?"

"Yes. Three is usually a reasonable number."

Rosela grinned to herself when she thought how much Ty was loving being a father which was why he didn't mind having a third child.

" _Parenthood is appealing to him. He's actually seeing the adventure of raising kids._ "

Rosela looked back to the times when Eva's first word was "Da-Da" and T.J walking the first time to his father. Not to mention, Ty showing Eva and T.J the constellations in the backyard one night.

She grinned to herself when she thought of her son saying he wanted to be a Space Ranger just like his dad was.

" _Like father, like son. And to think, he was afraid his kids wouldn't like him._ "

What also meant the world to Rosela was that Cryogen had become a good friend to her children who would get excited every time they would see him.

* * *

 **And this is the final chapter of Madly in Love. And I would love to thank the two people who have favorited my story, Sissel's a Cute Bad-aft and mew mew 124. It's nice that someone actually like this fanfic of mine. Well, so long.**


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